Spring arrives this year at 5:24pm on March 20, but in many parts of the country, the mild winter has caused flowers and trees to bloom early, so many of us have seen our daffodils and and forsythia go into bloom already. Technically, what is spring? The vernal equinox occurs when the sun is positioned […]

Research has shown that learning a new skill is good for you! It helps you focus, be in the moment, reduce stress and calm down. In other words, it gives your brain a chance to get out of your normal routine and relax. Learning new things or acquiring new skills is not just for the […]

  Now that the fireworks and champagne toasts are done, we at Luminoso Language Services thought we would let you know of some Latino and Spanish traditions for New Years Eve. A tradition that originated in Spain and is celebrated in many South and Central American countries is burning out the old year to get […]

The short answer is: it depends on the language you choose and how close it is to your native language. Other factors are: Here’s a list of common languages that are easiest and hardest to learn for English speakers with the population of native speakers . Easy – 23-24 weeks 575-600 class hours:Spanish 329 millionPortuguese […]

Day of the Dead—or Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico, Latin America and the United States to honor those those loved ones that have passed. Though Halloween and Day of the Dead are celebrated close together (Day of the Dead is on November 1 and 2), the two holidays aren’t connected. Halloween has Celtic […]

Hispanic Heritage Month recognizes and celebrates the contributions Americans tracing their roots to Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean have made to U.S. society and culture. The observance was born in 1968, when Congress authorized the president to issue an annual proclamation designating National Hispanic Heritage Week. Two […]

The grapheme Ñ is a mainstay of the Spanish language. It’s formed by a tilde (also called a virgulilla – little comma) over an upper or lower case N. It’s the 15th letter of the Spanish alphabet, after N, and has its own name, eñe. More than 15,700 words in the Spanish language contain it. […]

The hot weather recently made us think of the history and origins of the siesta and how it evolved. The word siesta in Spanish means nap, but it comes from the Latin hora sexta – the sixth hour (from dawn, traditionally). The siesta as we know it originated in Spain, but the custom was practiced […]