It's Carnival time in Tenerife and Cádiz!

If you thought that festive Carnival celebrations were the exclusive property of Brazil or Venice, you'll be in for a wild surprise during a February visit to Spain. The most famous Spanish carnival celebrations take place in Tenerife in the Canary Islands and Cádiz in Andalusia.

Tenerife’s Carnival is similar to that of Río de Janeiro, perhaps simply due to geography, since Tenerife is a tropical island with an average temperature of 22º Celsius throughout the year. For "Tinerfeños", Carnaval is the event of the year. Locals work diligently on their costumes for months before the start of the festivities. Dance, music and color take to the streets during the the island's Carnival parades. The most important parades take place in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island. If you're eager to see local color and culture while you learn Spanish, Carnival is an ideal time for Spanish course at don Quijote Tenerife.

When: January 30 – February 9th, 2008

See some of our students' photos of past Tenerife Carnivals.

More detailed information: Carnaval Tenerife, the official website.

I've just discovered three great resources for students and newer practicioners (like myself) of Spanish. All three are projects of Fundeú BBVA , a nonprofit organization formed to "collaborate in the good use of the Spanish language". All three are well worth a bookmark:

Way back in September we presented this poll question to you:

Out for tapas lately? Honestly, how comfortable are you tossing your napkins on the floor in a Spanish bar?

Luckily the Spanish have yet to give up the habit of tossing their napkins to the floor while eating pinchos (tapas), usually standing and closely surrounded by dozens of other enthusiastic bar patrons. The custom makes sense to you from the moment you take your first bite of pincho moruno or lomo a la plancha while desperately trying to juggle a glass of Rioja or reach for a place to temporarily store it. Pinchos are eaten standing for the vast majority of clients in a small Spanish bar at tapas hour, and it's just easier and if you ask me, a whole lot more fun, to drop your napkin right where you are as you head for the next pincho.

From this tradition comes, usually, a period of discomfort for extranjeros who envision their mothers scowling in disapproval.

It also leads me to the best advice I can give you for picking out a bar in a strange Spanish town. If you've hit prime pincho hour and the bars are full, by all means pick an establishment packed with locals. But when you find yourself facing two bars empty enough for you to see the floor, perhaps because most folks have already headed home for the comida or cena, your best pick is always the bar with that incredible mess of napkins on the floor.

With sincere apologies for the delay then, here's how you answered that question:

 Honestly, how comfortable are you tossing those napkins on the floor in a Spanish bar?

Are you kidding? I even throw the clean ones down there. What's your hang-up?

  20 (18%)

I do it, but I'll admit I look both ways first.

 13 (11%)

Takes everything I have to do it, still, but I do it. When in Spain...

 19 (17%)

No way. What if my mother sees me?

 13 (11%)

Throw the what? where? I need a trip to Spain, don't I?

 46 (41%)

Total votes: 111

from the don Quijote weekly lesson: