Colombian Christmas: novenas de aguinaldos

My Christmas have always been since the night of Christmas (December 24) until Epiphany (Jan. 6). That is, since the Midnight Mass to the morning when you pick up furtively to see the toys you have been brought by the Three Kings while you were sleeping.

All this, in Colombia, had to be different to the force. But not only because it's the "Niño Dios" (an Infant Jesus from elementary school) who brings the gifts to  Colombian children on Christmas Eve and people don't go to the Midnight Mass (for the astonishment of my mother) but because it's 9 days before when they really start their Christmas: the nine days of the novenas de aguinaldos (es).

So, every day from December 16th to Christmas Eve all families meet with their novena's booklets. You'll see lots of people gathered to pray the novenas in public places like parks and malls, but the tradition tells to do it at home or maybe changing the place every day from one family member's home to another.

It's such an established and widespread tradition that you don't need at all to go to the church to get your novena's booklet. You'll find them at almost any mall (with its adverts, of course).

Novena de Aguinaldo
(c) Instituto Misionero Hijas de San Pablo (es)

Tradition the children to be the ones to read by turns each one of the prayers and, after the corresponding Lord's Prayers and Hail Maries comes the Christmas carols, and finally the food. But I must admit that the carols, which is music at last, is the most eagerly awaited by those present because, as any good Colombian would do, there is almost nothing better than music and dance, not even the food no matter how good it would be. Just another cultural difference between Catalombian people from both sides of the sea).

I've always found that this tradition, endemic to Colombia, is an excellent way to gather the family to pray, even if they are just waiting for the music or food. On the other hand, which I don't mean to amend the author of these prayers, I'd update their vocabulary a bit, especially if we want our children to be the ones to read them. I mean that that year after year, novena after novena, I need to hide my perplexity in front of some verses (what the f*ck may mean "humanado" or "do su niño vean"? There must be some other synonym and easier to read, isn't it?)

Anyway, from the bottom of my heart, happy Christmas to all.

By the way, those of you who are catalombians outside Colombia, have you ever tried to export the novenas? How did it go?

I'll tell you later how it did to me and my family ;)

---

UPDATE: A fellow reader has provided a link that could help other english-speaker people to be able to pray the novenas. It's from El Colombiano's Novena de Navidad and this is its  automatic translation thanks to Google Translator.
Thank you and merry christmas! :)

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Carulla family

(c) Carulla (es)

One of the first mon(t)serratisms I discovered, the second after Monserrate itself, when he was perhaps the first day after our first time in Bogota, I was sent to the nearest super: one called Carulla.

And, again, I was sure that it couldn't be just a coincidence.

Montserrat Carulla i Ventura (ca)

Carulla for me has always been the surname of one of the most famous and veteran actresses of Catalonia: Montserrat Carulla i Ventura (ca) (actress, not the dentist (es) ;-) especially known for the series of TV3 as the El Cor de la Ciutat ( ca) and, more recently, for his masterful and chilling interpretation of Benigna at El Orfanato (es) movie.

(c) El Orfanato (es)

A surname as catalan as the mercantile expert from the College of Commerce of Barcelona called José Carulla Vidal (at least so it's called by my sources, although I suppose it was originally called Josep Carulla i Vidal), who saw the opportunity to trade with America and ended up landing in Barranquilla towards the end of 1904. Despite finding a beaten country by the Thousand Days War and the separation of Panama he found how to prosper, first in Barranquilla and then in Bogota, with a society called Carulla y Companía dedicated to manage exports to Europe.

The Escudo Catalán, founded in 1907, first shop of "Carulla y Compañía" company
picture sent by El Juglar del Zipa (es)

Two years after he'd open its first store named El Escudo Catalán (The Catalan Shield) which, when the Great Economic Depression in 1929, became its only line of business as they quit exportation.

Then passed years and decades of expansion and radical innovation until the year 1999, when the family Carulla lost control of his company with the sale of 25% of their shares to the group Newbridge Andean Partners from the USA. But they later merged with Vivero supermarkets and Carulla family recovered in 4 years the control of the company with the new name of Carulla Vivero.

But, returning to this side of Catalombia, there is another Carulla to mention: Lluís Carulla i Canals (ca). The foundation that brings his name (Fundació Lluís Carulla (ca)) has awarded with its Honor Award (ca) Joan Font (ca), general director of Bonpreu (ca) supermarkets for helping to strengthen the awareness of national community and a sense of belonging to the culture of the countries of Catalan language.

(c) Bonpreu (ca)

And so we close the mon(t)serratism's loop between two supermarkets at both shores of the ocean and both with some Carulla involved.

Did you know these Carulla people before?

Font: Dinero.com: Carulla, pasión por el comercio (es)

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The Columbus Day I'd like

October 12nd of 1492. More than two months of navigation after, when, they say, everyone almost lose any hope, the cabin boy Rodrigo de Triana yelled: Land on sight!

Here began the successful history of Castile's conquer of America building an empire that endured until 1898. An empire that, under c.XXI criteria, was quite negative specially for all natives of this new continent (it's named genocide and it's not a joke) but, on the other hand, at least helped to us all catalombians to share at least one language (which was very useful for me when I met the girl that lately became my wife).

Centuries came and someone decided to make this day THE holiday of Spain, which was celebrated all along America, named "Día de la Hispanidad" (Hispanity Day) or "Día de la Raza" (Race Day) (I assume that it's named Columbus Day just in USA). But I must say that this one about "... la Raza" is just the worst idea you may have to name a holiday (if you are not Borat). But it also sounds quite weird for me because there cannot be any pure hispanic not in America (creole by definition) and not in Iberian peninsula (like in my case). Just remind that Iberian Peninsula has been invaded by any empire on hand (just like being the most famous brothel of two entire continents)

But it's not just its name what upsets me about this holiday. It's the idea of let it be THE BIG holiday of Spain. I mean... I accept that we catalans celebrate celebrate a BIG defeat (which is not, no way, as I told last September 11th).

Just check another blog of mine with a post where I suggested some other dates for this holiday:
Ahir no va ser la meva festa (ca)

And it's even surrealist that all TV stations follow COMPLETELY this silly militar parade (is it necessary, having a specific day for it called "Día de las Fuerzas Armadas"?) that even PP leader got caught telling what LOT of people think: it's booooring.


Just check this year's parade:


But, on the other hand, they just ignore Vivamerica (es) festival, which is the best expression of the best side of all this story (yes, the bright one, don't talk today about genocide, cruelty and conquer)

9/11, National day of Catalonia

Picture Blai Server

This not blog about politics, colombian nor catalonian. But in days like this I cannot and I don't want to avoid this issues. Just in days like this.

Out of Catalonia, the september 11th is the day that Al-Qaeda hit the Twin Towers at New York. Others may recall the rise to the power of the tyrant Augusto Pinochet at Chile. But no one will understand why we catalans celebrate our most important holiday.

Today, nearly 300 years ago (1714), the troops of Philip V of Bourbon (direct ancestor of Spain's current king) conquered the city of Barcelona after months of siege, after years of war. This day ended 7 centuries of Catalonia as an independent country or, at least, as a country with its own laws.

This day it also started or long way to our people's victory: the survival of Catalonia as a culture, as a nation.

Yes, I said nation. Just take a look at our history.

I'm pretty sure that the spanish history you may studied at school (if any) told you about some kind of uniform country born with the marriage between Elisabeth of Castile and Ferdinand of Aragon the year 1492. There are even who moves Spain's birth even further in the past. The year 722, at the Battle of Covadonga, all cristian kingnoms of the Iberic Peninsula allied against the muslims showing, they say, a "unity of universal destiny". Just a way to say that all these independent kingdoms knew that some day in the future they will build something called Spain.

But there's another version of the history.

After the romanitation of the Iberic's Republic, when the name was born (Hispania), and centuries of muslim domination, some cristian kingdoms and counties appeared. They didn't make war only against muslims, but also between them.

These kingdoms, by territorial conquer and dinastic marriages, arrived to the Renaissance in three blocks:
- Kigndom of Portugal
- Kigndom of Castile
- Crown of Aragon (also known as catalonian-aragonese)

This third country was sort of confederation where each territory had its own laws:
- Kingdom of Aragon
- Princedom of Catalonia
- Kingdom of Valencia
- Kingdom of Mallorca

So this famous royal marriage of year 1492 unified both the Kingdom of Catalonia and the Catalano-aragonese Crown. But during centuries each territory kept their own laws.

During centuries, until year 1701 when the War of the Spanish Succession. It was a conflict all around Europe and America to get who had to the heir of Spain's throne (and all its territories all around the world): Philip V of Bourbon or Charles III of Austria. The Catalano-aragonese Crown joined Charles' side and just check who is the current king of Spain (John Charles I of Bourbon) to know who won the war.

So, this September 11th of 1714 Philip V of Bourbon was free to charge us all "conquer right" and repression with its main example in Nova Planta's decree.
:
- He imposed us all laws of Castile ignoring all laws and traditions of the territory.
- He imposed us the castillian (AKA spanish) as the only valid language, letting catalan to a dangerous situation that even today, centuries after that, we're trying to mend.
- They created new taxes just to punish our people.
- Generalitat (Government of Catalonia), Consell de Cent (council of the hundred), Junta de Braços, all our institutions were banished.

But here's where our victory starts. Because today, even all spanish efforts to assimilate us, we still are catalonians, we still feel like a nation. We still fight for our stolen rights.

This is what we celebrate today: the will of our people to recover our liberty.

Picture PacoR

Visca Catalunya Lliure!

Catalombia

As told at Glossary, Catalombia is an imaginary republic that serves as fatherland to catalonians and colombians who, whatever the reason, feels their heart split between both shores of the sea.

It's an original idea from Mauricio, whose blog República de Catalombia (es) may be just a personal one (no way one of these sites about imaginary countries) but, once self-proclamed president of the Catalombian Republic, he had the good idea to give us catalombians the needed symbols of our fatherland:

- The name: "República de Catalòmbia" (Catalombian Republic). It's, obviously, just the fussion between "Catalonia" and "Colombia". The "Republic" part is, I assume, just a personal choice from Mauricio (and I must say that I'd make the very same choice).

- Our flag: 
This solution is quite smart. He just got the big yellow band of colombian's flag to add the four bars of the catalonian one.

Images from Wikipedia: Colombia
, Wikipedia: Catalonia
Just as Mauricio tells at his blog: República de Catalombia (es)

- L'escut:
This one must a closer look because the changes are more in detail
(just as Mauricio tells at his blog República de Catalombia (es))


"The top side keeps the condor, but instead of laurel leaves it carries a fetathered stole at his beak.

The upper third of the main body we change the cornucopia by its catalonian equivalent: a piggybank.

At the middle third, the catalonian barretina replaces the frigian cap.

The lower third remains unchanged in a kind of homage to the constant loose of lands for both Catalonia and Colombia. We must say that all their past kingdoms reached from the Bosphorus to the Panama Canal. Our Republic today doesn't reach continents, but lots of contents."

This mention about past and current catalombian territories comes by linking Colombia with the Great Colombia and Catalonia with the Catalanaragonese Crown (AKA Crown of Aragon)
 
So, these would be the catalombian lands in its maximum expansion:





And these our current lands:

August, just another month.

August has been always the year's turning point. The most waited time of the year when almost everyone goes out for holidays and even Barcelona's council let you park for free. A month to enjoy the city quite alone, as tourists doesn't get to replenish the void left by the neighbours. More than four weeks of painly envy having to share the morning to the office with all these people going to the beach.

But Magda never had this experience until her destiny led her to Barcelona from Bogotá. In Colombia, as they are not conditioned by such a month with such a hot weather, are able to manage their yearly cycle in a rational way: the year ends when it ends. December 31st.

These days, to anyone on street, it's quite obvious that we're on holidays. I'd say even more: all the country is. You know, with this heat there is no way to work properly.

But my colombian niece tells me that it's just in this month when they start the college. And it's just because August is for them just another month, nothing more. I mean, they've to imagine the four seasons. Ok, yes, they say they have both winter and summer which means heat with rain and heat without. And this has a bigger influence in life than it seems:

- Fashion: Colombians have no need to change their clothes each season. They don't need to do this weird thing called "change of closet". Changes in trends are very slow and subtle and even the clothes are more endurable (maybe just because colombian fabric is just excellent)

- Holidays: Christmas time is very important even if you are not religious and you'll always need to spend some holidays there. And, just because of the heat, you'll need to spend some days at summer time. But colombians can just get their big holidays on Christmas time, period.

- Year's eve: yes, ok, December's 31st is the last day of the year and it's a great feast. But I really feel that it's on summer when all the country stops and we start again. Just imagine some colombian trying to make some business deal at Catalonia at August.

- Daylight time: we catalans have to pass every year through this depressing process of loosing daylight each day until these awful winter days when you get out of the job in the dark of the night.

- the name of the hour: just go to Bogota and, around 20:00, ask someone what time is it. He (or she) will tell you "las 8 de la noche" (the 8 of the night). But we'd say "las 8 de la tarde" (the 8 of the evening) just because we are sunny at these time at least one half of the year.

- Season's cycle: they say that Bogota's weather gets all seasons per day (from freeze cold at the eve's day to and overwhelming sun at noon, and these rains...) but they've almost no change all around the year. But we change year after year from the shorts to the coat. Then, you'll easily find this relative that kindly gives you a thick sweater at august, or these February 4th asking us to wear white t-shirts, or these craftsmen trying to persuade us to sell their beach products at Catalonia... at December!

I mean, you need to live it to understand it.

Sindication

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Bicentenary flowers of liberty

Catalan | Spanish

Oneris Rico

They tell that, almost 200 years ago, Royal Comissioner’s Antonio Villavicencio, was coming to Santa Fe (of Bogota). Two Creoles that were preparing its reception asked a spaniard for a vase. This spaniard denied and they all started to argue, and then to fight.

It seems that the ambient was quite hot these days, because they were planning a revolt just taking advantage from this visit. So they end to the palace shouting "¡Viva el rey Fernando VII y abajo el mal gobierno!" (Hail to the kind Ferdinand VII and down with the bad goverment!). Some leaders as José Acevedo y Gómez, José María Carbonell and Camilo Torres took the initiative and got to the constitution of a government made with creoles, but with the viceroy in charge.

They were proclaming their independence from Spain.

Then came the time of the “Patria Boba” (Silly Homeland) and the Spanish re-conquer, once the king Ferdinand VII recovered his crown and Spain was no more invaded by french troops, the year 1815. But 4 years after came Simón Bolívar and these American lands recovered its liberty, but this is another story.

Este es el motivo de tanta fiesta y baile que hoy reunirá a todos los que sientan como propia la bandera tricolor o, al menos, tenga ganas de fiesta y jarana.

But there are some things I cannot avoid mentoning, as a catalan.

There’s first the historical context, because just at the very same time that these future colombians were fighting for a vase we were here shooting at Napoleon’s soldiers. IT’s really convinient to have your enemy’s troops occupied at the other side of the world just when you decide to revolt. But just remind that when Bolivar came, the thing was just definitive with no excuse for spaniards’ defeat.


Ferdinard VII

I also noticed something familiar on the slogans: this one about “Viva el rey Fernando VII” was a quite revolutionary one. These days the official king of Spain was Joseph Bonaparte (AKA Pepe Botella, Joe Bottle) imposed by his brother Napoleon, so generous with his family that gave complete countries to his brothers.

This shout was also some time before at Manresa, at the historycal “Burn of the sealed papers” when the made quite a bonfire with the documents from the French authorities of Barcelona shouting "Visca lo rei Ferran" (Hail to the king Ferdinand) using his name as a symbol against their oppressors: the French. Just a pity that, once he recovered his crown, he became a completely absolutist king. All the people that fought for him got pretty surprised (or executed).



Harvesters’ revolt , Barcelona, 1640

And this one of “abajo el mal gobierno” reminds me a lot this one of "Visca la terra! Muiren los traïdors! Muira el mal govern!" (¡Hail to the land! ¡Death to the traitorous! ¡Death to the bad government!) when the harvesters got to the palace this year of 1640 in one of the most legendary feats of my homeland’s history (they also killed the viceroy, by the way)


José María Carbonell
Luis Angel Arango’s library

But the last one is the evident catalan origin of one of these leaders: José María Carbonell.



Carbonell’s coat of armsArmoria.info

Carbonell es un apellido de origen catalán compartido por 4957 catalanes y otros 11509 en el resto del Estado Español (incluyendo a los del aceite de oliva) y, a pesar de que José María Carbonell quizás no supiera nada de Cataluña o a saber cuál sería el último catalán de sus ancestros, no deja de ser sorprendente el encontrar un mon(t)serratismo en la mismísima cuna de la patria de mi señora y mi hija.

Carbonell is a catalan surname shared by 4957 catalans and other 11509 citizens of Spain (these ones of the olive’s oil included (es)). Yes, I know, maybe he didn’t know a single word about Catalonia or who knows who was the last catalan of his ancestors, but it’s just surprising finding such a mon(t)serratism at the very birth of my wife’s and daughter’s homeland.

So finally, fellow colombians, Viva Colombia!

More information:
Museo 20 de Julio (es) where they say all this happened:

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El Florero de Llorente (es) What it happened.

Pep Guardiola, catalombian coffee

Catalán | Spanish

© Parque Nacional del Café
Colombia is increasing its efforts in tourism and, thanks goodness, it's not just beach at all.

One of its iniciatives to improve its added value is the Parque del Café (Coffee's Park), half fun park half theme park about its most valued trademark: its coffee.

I'd start talking about this wonerful place and I'll never stop. There's this gorgeous replica of the "Pueblo Quindiano", the "Casa Campesina" (Rural Home) where you'd find sort of Juan Valdés' clone (but his name is Suso Musgo) or a dance and music show that gave me a single thought: when grown-up, I wanna be a "paisa".


© Hardatlivin'

But the biggest surprise I got there was in the Beneficiadero. It's a route that shows any step in coffee cultivation and production and, just at the end, I saw sort of boiler labeled as guardiola: "Tambor rotativo para secar café por medio de aire caliente" (Rolling drum due to dry coffee using hot air).


© Televisió de Catalunya
Captured by jaume_blg

Yep, guardiola, as we catalans name the piggy bank. As like as the surname of Pep Guardiola, current Barça's coach. Because Guardiola was the surname of the first one that went to America with one of these machines that they used to dry the coffee burning any fuel available.



© Blazonet

Este apellido es, justamente, de origen catalán, concretamente de Barcelona, cuenta con su propio escudo de armas y es compartido por otros 3352 catalanes y 8923 españoles. E incluso a lo largo y ancho de América donde parece que es Santa Marta (Colombia) uno de los lugares donde más abundan.

This surname comes from Barcelona (Catalonia), it has its own coat of arms and it's shared by 3352 catalans and 8923 spaniards. You may even find "Guardiolas" all around America. Some say that they are quite a lot at Santa Marta (Colombia).

But let's not forget the Parque del Café. I really suggest you to go there. It really pays the trip, but you'd better save a couple of das at least. It's a big place and you won't ever be able to see it all in a whole day no matter how fast you can run. But it's also a way cool place to visit for any fellow catalan like me that may like to trace the present and past pressence his compatriots all around the world.

Further information:

Futbol Club Barcelona

Blazonet (es) Experts in heraldry

Parque Nacional del Café (es)


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St. John's "coca"

Catalan | Spanish

Pine nut "coca". Picture from neeest

We catalans are quite weird people with such weird habits as this one about consuming huge amounts of "coca" every year's shortest night.

Nevertheless, it's not THIS white powder that comes from THIS andinian* bush's manipultion, but a wide open variety of cakes, both sweet and salty. Sweet as the "coca" we use to eat each Saint John's eve, specially the pine nut one.

It's a very important feast for us. First because it's one of the two nights of the year when any teenager get permission to be out until next morning, as in New Year's Eve. And I must say that these night you'd feel even more frustrated than usual if you don't pick up a girl this night. And, second, because its fire and fireworks night.

St. John's bonfire. Picture from Josep Santacreu

It's, compared to Colombia, as if New Year Eve's had been moved to the middle of th year. They burn the "Año Viejo" (a dummy made of old clothes) and we burn a bonfire (which in other times was made with your old furniture). Here we shoot firecrackers everywhere and there... they also do it, but when the police is not watching. I mean, I find quite strange that here at Catalonia we don't have quite any bans against firecrackers. The most they do is just some suggestions and controled sales. But never these prohibitions like in Colombia.

Biggest burn ratios in Bogotá than in Barcelona, maybe? who knows...

In any case, if next June 23th's eve you miss some catalonian frien in MSN, it's quite sure that he's out to party after eating his half pound of "coca"... pine nut "coca".

Further information:

Our "coca" at Wikipedia

St. John's Eve

Generalitat's suggestions for St. John's Eve, firecrackers included (ca)

About colombian authorities against firecrackers (es)
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Chocolate's week

Catalan | Spanish

Photo: Antonella Speranza. © All rights reserved.

It has been a whole week since Holy Week. Last monday, called here Dilluns de Pàsqua (Pasque Monday) any godfather will visit their godchildren to give them the Mona de Pàsqua (Pasque Monkey):
Type of cake with many shapes. Normaly decorated with some painted hard-boiled eggs or xocolat eggs. It's normally eaten in Pasqua Florida (Flowered Pasque, the first Monday after Holy Week)...
From Enciclopèdia Catalana - mona (in catalan)

We had our mona: a chocolate egg big as a rugby ball. Such a delicatessen that still survives after a whole week and, side by side with the morcilla that my parents gave us, will be quite valuated by my arteria. ;)

I must also say that there is no ONE Mona de Pàsqua, but a lot of different types. Just take a look on Wikipedia's article to check the difference with the other definition I showed before:
Wikipedia: Mona de Pascua (in spanish)


And, finally, I'll say that these agges on the monas must have something in common with easter eggs of these other countries:
Wikipedia: Easter Egg
 

Monastery of Montserrat

Where it all began.

Catalan | Spanish

Our Virgin of Montserrat at Montserrat (Monistrol de Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain) Photo Pablo César Pérez González.

The year 880 some shepherds saw a light at Montserrat mountain (so called because its shape, whose peaks seem to be cut with a saw). Searching the cause of this light they found a cave and an image of the Virgin Mary inside the cave.

The bishop wanted this image at Manresa. But once on the path, the convoy arrived to some place impossible to pass, as they couldn't move a single inch more. As everyone saw it as a Holy sign, this very same spot was the place to build a hermit, which in the years to come would be the abbey we currently know.

This is the legend. The proven truth is that since these days the people venerates there the Holy Virgin Mary. She is Catalonia's patron since year 1881. It's the place to go for thousands of pilgrims and tourists. It's a simbo of ours catalonian nation and a shelter for our culture ("Serra d'or", monastry's publishing house, was able to publish books in catalan even when Franco's regime madde it near to impossible).

And, finally, the year 1493 Christopher Columbus took a monk from Montserrat named Bernat de Boïl. So they carried the name of Montserrat to the other side of the ocean, all around the New World even to this place where, generations of colombians will go to venerate the "Cristo caído de Monserrate".


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Links:
Montserrat Abbey
Cerro de Monserrate (in spanish)

Monserrate itself

About the reason to the name of this blog

Catalan | Spanish

Our Lady of Montserrat at Monserrate (Bogotá, Colombia) Picture from COLOMBIE : Bogota, Monserrate, Raquira, Villa de Leyva

Since the very days I started to flirt with my current wife I also started to hear about the "Fallen Crist of Monserrate". From this very first times I was sure that this certainly was no coincidence, its name couldn't be so similar to "Montserrat" with no reason.

But I couldn't check it until my first time to Colombia when, once acclimatized to the place and the height (I must admit that I'm used to live close to the sea) I got my family to Monserrate's peak and its sanctuary.

Once sitting at the center of the church, I looked to the left and there it was, into its own chapel. It as her, the "Moreneta" herself, spiritual icon of catalanity. I couldn't help but cry and sing the "Virolai" driven by my own devotion, nostalgia and patriotism.

The chapel's gate had a panel with the complete history about why and how there was such an exotic virign (exotic at least for colombian people): the year 1652 a copy of the "Morenta" is settled there in an hermitage, the mountain is known as "Cerro de Monserrate" since then.

Later, on year 1711, this "Moreneta" disappears and the "Fallen Crist" is settled there. And finally, on 1997, the monks of Montserrat (Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain) send to Colombia this new copy of the "Moreneta".

So, no coincidence at all: its just a mon(t)serratism big as a... cathedral.


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Links:
Cerro de Monserrate
Montserrat Abbey

Glossary

• Mon(t)serratism: discovery of a bond between Catalonia and Colombia usualy hidden to untrained viewers.
  
  
• Morcillism: a link between Castile and Colombia that is still surprising between the multitude of connections available in the obvious relationship between both cultures.


• (ca): link to page written in catalan


• (es): link to page written in spanish


• Catalombia: merged concept between Catalonia and Colombia which identifies all people like me that feel linked to both fatherlands. It's an original idea from Mauricio, owner of "República de Catalombia"'s blog (es).

Mon(t)serratian manifesto

I'm catalan son of castilians, husband of a colombian girl and father of a colombian child who is also catalan. So, both nationalities, my most beloved homelands on Earth, live together on my daughter.

Both fatherlands which are much closer than it seems to any catalan or colombian, with ties like this "Cerro de Monserrate", with its "El Señor Caído"'s sanctuary on its peack and Bogota city at its feet. Also with its name, so similar to "Montserrat", cultural and spiritual shrine of Catalonia, home of the "Moreneta". The first one founded to honour the second brothering together true mon(t)serratians no matter from which side of the sea.