Spanish School Blog

The traditional Guatemalan clothing is well known to be perhaps the most colorful of all the typical costumes in Latin America, in particular, the Highlands of Guatemala are the most popular ones. These costumes vary a lot and it depends on the region, each design has been influenced by history.

Guatemala is a multi-ethnic and multilingual country, the country is divided into four ‘Culture Groups’ with 25 ‘ethnic groups’, the four culture groups are the Mayan, Ladina, Xinca (Xinka) and Garífuna.

On September 15th Guatemala celebrates the Independence Day as an independent country from Spain (Guatemala became an independent country in 1821).

There are tons of common expressions we all use in any language as we all know, but in Spanish language and in Guatemala, this is perhaps this is the most used expression any day, the famous ‘NO TENGA PENA’.

Corn in Guatemala has been a vital piece in the history of this country, from ancestral times with the Mayans, until today. It is part of the daily diet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The famous tortillas are the eternal accompaniment at the Guatemalan table.

Five different classic sayings in Spanish language. These all are quite interesting to learn about and don't have a literal easy translation to them. Understanding each one of them will help you learn how to communicate a little bit easier.

Guatemalan tamales have been a signature of typical cuisine, and have been here since we can all remember. Tamales from Guatemala are quite different when compared to others in Latin America, and there are a few variety to tamale-types in Guatemala depending on the region.

If you are planning on visiting Antigua Guatemala to learn Spanish, then you should know that there is a very much used expression you will hear guaranteed (at least once) if you stay for a little while, and this is ‘fijese que…’.

Most of the churches built between 1540 and 1790 are richly decorated inside with wooden altarpieces which can be a main altar located at the bottom of the presbytery, or collateral altarpieces attached to the walls of the main hall.

Antigua Guatemala city was founded as ‘Santiago de Guatemala’. ‘Dia de Santiago Apostol’ (Saint James’ Day) is celebrated in several cities in Latin America, as well as in Antigua Guatemala.