Patchwork Designs >HONDURAS PATCH PROGRAM

HONDURAS PATCH PROGRAM
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1. Honduras is also called "The Republic of Honduras." View an outline of a Honduran country map and its capital. Identify Honduras's flag.

2. The official language of Honduras is Spanish. English is also widely spoken. There are a few indigenous languages still spoken in rural parts of the country. Learn some words or slang that is spoken in Honduras.

3. There are many holidays celebrated in Honduras- both secular and religious. Most festivals are celebrated as fairs, usually on the main street through the towns, and are full of singing, dancing and feasting. Many festivals honor people and ideas throughout Honduras's history. Tree Day celebrates the trees that provide the world with oxygen, and Environment Day celebrates all of nature. New Year's Day is a big celebration where citizens make their clothes and wears them throughout the festivities. Learn about festivals in Honduras, go to a festival, participate in one, OR complete a craft that represents a festival.

4. A typical day in the diet of a Honduran includes mostly corn. Corn is the most widely grown crop in the country and is used in a variety of ways to feed both the rural and urban peoples. Other sources of food include red beans, white rice and cassava. The combination of these three foods makes up most of the diet of the typical Honduran. Baleada is a favorite meal that is served almost on a daily basis in some homes. This is a warm corn tortilla folded over beans, cheese, and sour cream. Another favorite is tortillas con quesillo. This is two crispy fried tortillas with melted cheese between. Try a recipe, food, or drink from Honduras.

5. Preforming arts are a fundamental part of Honduran society and culture. Girls and boys learn at a very young age the traditional dances of their culture. Apart from common Latin American dances such as the samba and the salsa, Hondurans have many traditional dances. The maladio wanaragua is a mask dance, the sique dance is from the early Indians and the mascara dance has its roots in African dance. Honduran music is very lively and rhythmic. The marimba is the most common instrument, and marimba bands can be heard all throughout the towns. Watch a dance OR listen to music OR sing a song OR learn more information about a dance from Honduras and try your own moves.

6. Poems, essays and short stories are all popular literature in Honduras. Folk stories have a big influence on this literature. Legends and stories reflect the lively Spanish culture. Read a legend or poem from Honduras, OR listen to a legend or play.

7. Because of Honduras's location in between North and South America, it was a central route of many cultures. Of these cultures, the most notable is the Maya. The Mayan civilization settled in the area of what is now Honduras in the 5th century A.D. They created extensive trade networks throughout the region. The ancient city of Copan in Honduras became the center of Mayan culture. Learn more about the ancient civilizations of South America.

8. Honduras is naturally diverse with mountains, forests, beaches, savannas, coral reefs, and banana fields. The national animal of Honduras is the white-tailed deer. Other exotic animals include: armadillos, foxes, monkeys, jaguars, and raccoons. There are also a variety of snakes that inhabit the country such as the boa, coral, bushmaster, and rattlesnake. Honduras's cloud forest, also known as the "weeping woods", are ideal for many plant species because the forests catch moisture in the air. Ferns, vines, and orchids are examples of plants. Choose [3] animals OR plants from Honduras to learn more about.

9. There are many folk crafts sold all across Honduras in small town markets. Everyone, rich or poor, make traditional crafts as presents. Wood carving, fine jewelry, small wooden or clay animals, and vase making are popular folk crafts. Woodcarving is a fine art in Honduras. Create a craft or project using a traditional a skill OR jewelry OR observe someone creating a handicraft OR a traditional craft from Honduras.

10. Traditional folk dress is worn on special occasions such as festivals, holidays, celebrations, or for traditional dance. Girl's dresses are bright and colorful. The skirt is full and the blouses have ruffled sleeves and collars. On a daily basis, children wear school uniforms. Public school children have white and blue uniforms and private schools have there own colors. Draw a picture of the clothing, dress up in a Honduran themed costume, create an accessory, complete our paper dolls OR view traditional clothing through books or the Internet or our country manual.

11.There are a variety of games played by children in Honduras. Learn a traditional game OR play a game that symbolizes Honduras OR play a water game OR play a game in our manual.