5 Ways to Honor Hispanic Heritage Month – El Mes de la Herencia Hispana

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.

Frijoles a la charra,

chicken enchiladas,

mango margarita, 

champurrado,

& 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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Rocio Chavez

Digital Content Creator & Multimedia Designer at Your Sassy Self

I'm a Mexican-American, Sassy, Bilingual, Professional Woman with a passion for life long learning, sharing, and living my best life. I'm the founder and digital content creator for Your Sassy Self and work full time as a Multimedia Designer. Let's connect and see how we can change the world...or at least change our perspective of it. 😉

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