Things that Remind Me of Home

Photo by: Flickr Photo/Some rights reserved by joao.junca/ht

Güiro

El güiro is a musical instrument made of a hollow gourd on which horizontal notches are carved. The sound is made when metal tines or a stick are rubbed up and down against the notches to make kind of a "ratchet" noise. In my family, taking out the güiro meant one thing: ¡fiesta! Along with maracas, tambourines and palitos, this was the kind of noisy instrument any child could play... more 

Photo by: Flickr Photo/Some rights reserved by joao.junca/ht

Güiro

El güiro is a musical instrument made of a hollow gourd on which horizontal notches are carved. The sound is made when metal tines or a stick are rubbed up and down against the notches to make kind of a "ratchet" noise. In my family, taking out the güiro meant one thing: ¡fiesta! Along with maracas, tambourines and palitos, this was the kind of noisy instrument any child could play at family celebrations, but it was a special sign that Christmas had arrived with all that implied--asaltos (a rowdy version of Christmas caroling) and the abuelos singing their controversias navideñas (good-natured Christmas singing fights) with the kids playing their instruments. Nostalgia note: are we losing those moments in which children of all ages could enjoy together?

For content that speaks to you, visit Shine Latina. less