Yay! It’s Hispanic Heritage Month! But what does that mean? Don’t worry, I’m here to explain and share 5 easy ways to honor Hispanic Heritage Month.
First, a little background. According to hispanicheritagemonth.gov Hispanic Heritage Month (El Mes de la Herencia Hispana) was started In 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson as a week long affair. And in 1988, it was expanded to 30 days by President Ronald Reagan. So why do the 30 days awkwardly begin September 15 and end on October 15? Surprisingly enough September 15th marks the Independence Day (Día de la Independencia) for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. September 16th marks the Independence Day for Mexico, September 18th marks the Independence Day for Chile, and October 12th marks Columbus Day or Día de la Raza. Since that time frame is filled with a lot of history, it serves as a great time to honor and celebrate the cultures of Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
As you can see, that covers a wide array of varying countries and cultures, which is why the Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations may vary, but the sentiment remains the same. We all want to use this time to showcase the best of each of our cultures. And the best thing is that anyone can join in on the fun. That’s the thing about cultural celebrations, they’re always able to transcend any barrier through the following:
Food
Taste buds never lie, which is why food is the easiest way to celebrate and learn about cultures. So feel free to use Hispanic Heritage Month to make your way through our vast culinary beginnings, or to learn a recipe or two to try at home for your friends and family. Here are a few personal favorite recipes to get you started.
& even empanadas de calabaza for dessert.
Music
Music easily transcends all barriers through rhythm. Gloria Estefan was right when she said the rhythm is gonna get’cha. One way or another, music always finds a way to take us down memory lane, or away to another world. So feel free to get your groove on with a good Cumbia, some Salsa, or turn on the radio and enjoy some Reggaetón.
Crafts
Why not get crafty with it? A lot of our Hispanic Heritage was definitely built on artisan crafts – from colorful textiles, to pottery, to paper crafts. And many are easy to recreate at home, like my easy to make papel picado.
Explore
Explore your own story, family recipes, etc. Maybe even read bilingual books with your kids and begin a conversation on diversity and inclusion. Take in a museum or cultural exhibit to learn more about our culture, traditions, and contributions made by our varying countries.
Celebrate
Please go out and have fun. Enjoy the celebrations put on by your community to honor Hispanic Heritage Month. They’re definitely an easy way to get a little bit of everything I mentioned above. Plus you’ll get the added bonus of meeting and mingling with your diversified community and small business owners – the vendors. Win, win for Hispanic Heritage for sure. And a great way to celebrate the diversity and inclusion that makes this a wonderful world!
And if you’re ready for more inspiration, then you’ve gotta visit my fellow bloggers, listed below. They’re also celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with recipes, activities, and more!
Enjoy!
9/14 – Inspired by Familia (our Blog Hop Hostess) & Mama Latina Tips – How to Make Tacos al Pastor
9/15 – Mommy Maestra – Exploring Spain: A Printable Coloring Page & Embracing Diversity – Teaching Children About Dominican Culture
9/17 – Hispanic Mama – 7 Ways to Teach Children About Ecuadorian Heritage
9/18 – Guapologia – Fondant de Cajeta con Salsa de Tequila
9/19 – Mama Educa – En el Mes de la Herencia Hispana celebro a mi familia boricua en los Estados Unidos
9/20 – Be Chic Mag
9/21 – One Post At a Time – Cheese Enchiladas & La Cooquette – MY DELICIOUS HONDURAN HERITAGE
9/22 – Nerdvana Kingdom
9/23 – A Vivir LA & Spicy Latina Mom – 5 MEXICAN FOOD RECIPES
9/24 – Latinas United
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! Feliz Mes de la Herencia Hispana!
How do you honor Hispanic Heritage Month?
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I loved this post! I think your list of ways to honor Hispanic Heritage Month is wonderful! It’s so important that we don’t forget to teach the next generation about our history, we have so much to be proud of. I look forward to reading more in the future! =)
Thanks so much Elizabeth! Happy you stopped by. Hope to hear from you again! Have a great night!
I love this post too! I learned about the history of Hispanic Heritage Month. And, I like your suggestions of meaningful ways to celebrate this important month.
Thanks Colleen! It means a lot coming from you. Thanks for stopping by and for all your support! Have a wonderful day!
Thanks for sharing, love the picture! Those are great ways to honor our Culture!
Thanks so much for stopping by Brenda! I’m so excited that we get to share our culture with each other! Have a fab day!!
Muy buen artículo e información acerca de esta celebración hispana.
Gracias Mariellisa, igual el tuyo. Que viva la herencia hispana. 😀
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Great tips for celebrating HHM! I love to share all things Latin culture with my kids and I particularly love your post about papel picado because I’m not too crafty, but I think that one is easy enough, even for me! Thank you!
Awesome Dania, I tell you if I can do it, anyone can! And love that we get to share not only our history/culture, but it opens the opportunity up to share that of our fellow Latinos as well. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
Great tips! And I agree that food is the easiest way to explore cultures, it’s such a vast and interesting world by itself! 🙂 ¡Un abrazo!
Right, plus it’s a tasty adventure, which is fabulous!! Abrazos!!!