Today's lesson is a Hispanic cultural capsule about "los
compadres" (lohs kohm-pah-drehs).
In the Hispanic world the majority of the people are Catholics.
When a child is to be baptized, godparents ("padrinos"
p; pah-dree-nohs) are selected.
The padrinos and the parents of the child will now be related
as "compadres." The child now is a godchild ("ahijado/a"
p; eye-hah-doh/dah) to the padrinos.
In an Hispanic wedding, the attendants are also known as padrinos
and madrinas (mah-dree-nahs). After the wedding, the parents of
the bride will be related to the parents of the groom as compadres.
The two men will be compadres to each other, while the women will
be comadres.
Furthermore, the terms compadre and comadre have become words
to be used with a close friend. So often you will hear, "¿Cómo
está compadre?" (How are you, compadre?) "Estoy
bien, compadre. ¿Y cómo está la comadre?"
(I am fine, compadre. And how is my comadre?)
Often children in the Hispanic world say, "Vamos a jugar
a las comadres" (bah-mohs ah who-gahr ah lahs
koh-mah-drehs p; Let's play comadres.)