Verbena

Question

Does anyone know if the verbena, the all-night Spanish party, is related to the flower? (I would not know how to organize an all-night party)

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[nq:1]Does anyone know if the verbena, the all-night Spanish party, is related to the flower? (I would not know how to organize an all-night party)[/nq]
When I was growing up in Texas, the word "verbena" was a street party that was held on the eve of namedays of saints. I don't remember the word used for an all-night party; most of the people going to them had to work the next day.

Martin Ambuhl

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[nq:2]Does anyone know if the verbena, the all-night Spanish party, is related to the flower? (I would not know how to organize an all-night party)[/nq]
[nq:1]When I was growing up in Texas, the word "verbena" was a street party that was held on the eve ... the word used for an all-night party; most of the people going to them had to work the next day.[/nq]
In Spain, a verbena is now just a local midsummer knees-up, now most often associated with a makeshift stage set up in the village square, festooned with bunting advertising La Iña (read "cheap") sherry, upon which a truly incompetent covers group wearing puff-sleeved white satin shirts and black crimplene waistcoats half-heartedly cavorts and churns out a grim setlist of Ricky Martin hits alternated with shake-a-leg-type audience-participation numbers.
There may once have been an element of risqué all-nightness about the word, though at least to judge from the once insulting but now jocular expression putón verbenero, for which "dirty stop-out" would be a fairly decent translation.
(Feel free to matizar, Javi.)

Ross Howard

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[nq:2]Does anyone know if the verbena, the all-night Spanish party, is related to the flower? (I would not know how to organize an all-night party)[/nq]
There seems to be a relation. "Verbenae" is an ancient Latin word for sacred bunchs of branches (olive, myrtle, bay) used in religious ceremonies. As Martin says below, "verbena" is a night street party on the eve of namedays of saints; in rural Spain it is almost always qualified with the name of the saint: verbena de San Juan, verbena de San Pedro, etc.; it is also the name of an aromatic and very common in Spain herb. There is or was a custom of going to pick up verbena (ir a coger la verbena) on the early morning, before dawn, of the day of St. John, on the belief that it would bring good luck and good health. Before going to pick up verbena, there was a street party, wich was called after that.
[nq:1]When I was growing up in Texas, the word "verbena" was a street party that was held on the eve ... the word used for an all-night party; most of the people going to them had to work the next day.[/nq]
Here in Spain, "verbenas" are usually celebrated on the eve of a local holyday, so people do not need to go to sleep that night.

Saludos cordiales
Javi
Mood conjugation:
I am an artist
You are a Bohemian
He forgot to shave this morning
(Craig Brown)

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[nq:2]When I was growing up in Texas, the word "verbena" ... people going to them had to work the next day.[/nq]
[nq:1]In Spain, a verbena is now just a local midsummer knees-up, now most often associated with a makeshift stage set ... now jocular expression putón verbenero, for which "dirty stop-out" would be a fairly decent translation. (Feel free to matizar, Javi.)[/nq]
Your description of the verbenas is quite as I percibe them, Ross. Before seeing you message, I have sent another on this subject. The expression "putón verbenero" seems to me originally related to the night of St. John, the verbena par excellence, night on wich there is and was a relaxation of the sexual constraints. The women that excessively exceded the allowed men (one in our recent past) per woman, would be called that.

I can understand "dirty stop-out" from the context; is "stop-out" a derogatory rightpondian word? slang?

Saludos cordiales
Javi
Mood conjugation:
I enjoy a drop
You never say no
He is an alcoholic
(Craig Brown)

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[nq:1]Your description of the verbenas is quite as I percibe them, Ross. Before seeing you message, I have sent another ... constraints. The women that excessively exceded the allowed men (one in our recent past) per woman, would be called that.[/nq]
I'd never thought about the Midsummer's Eve connection. That sounds quite likely, yes.
[nq:1]I can understand "dirty stop-out" from the context; is "stop-out" a derogatory rightpondian word? slang?[/nq]
It's Northern possibly specifically Lancashire dialect, where "stop" is often used to mean "stay". Back-translating it very literally, you'd get something like guarra que está en la calle hasta el amanecer.
(I've never really understood why, in any culture, "dirty" things are supposed to happen and, particularly, daughters are supposed to get pregnant only in the early hours.)

Ross Howard

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[nq:2]I can understand "dirty stop-out" from the context; is "stop-out" a derogatory rightpondian word? slang?[/nq]
[nq:1]It's Northern possibly specifically Lancashire dialect, where "stop" is often used to mean "stay". Back-translating it very literally, you'd get something like guarra que está en la calle hasta el amanecer.[/nq]
Not specifically Lancasire - we knew it in Derbyshire, too.
[nq:1](I've never really understood why, in any culture, "dirty" things are supposed to happen and, particularly, daughters are supposed to get pregnant only in the early hours.)[/nq]
And by "sleeping together" - it's staying awake that causes the trouble.

Frances Kemmish
Production Manager
East Coast Youth Ballet
www.byramartscenter.com

Verbena

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