Traditions + Culture

It’s funny how one slowly starts becoming just like one’s mamá. You notice it when you start blurting out your wisdom in dichos or when you scold your child with words that ring in your head like ghosts from the past. But little did you know that even those remedios caseros (home remedies) you thought were a pain to swallow or deal with as a child and that your mom or abuela so lovingly administered, actually became engrained in youRead More ...

The lechón smells delicious as it finishes roasting in the oven, the majority of the gifts are wrapped and underneath the Christmas tree and the playlist full of trullas navideñas and villancicos is ready for tonight’s Nochebuena celebration, which I’ll be hosting in my home this year. It’s going to be a long night… but one of my favorite ones of the year. I doubt we’ll wait until midnight to have dinner — like we  used to when I wasRead More ...

I have precious memories of celebrating Posadas with neighbors and relatives growing up in Mexico. This week, I was inspired by Becky’s post on Celebrating Las Posadas from Mexico to the US  and I wanted to share the Christmas carol we sang at the Posadas. You can find the printable form below for you to sing with your family! The “Pedir Posada” Villancico tells the story of Maria and Jose’s arrival to Belen (Bethlehem.) The party is divided into groups, theRead More ...

Like most kids I know, Vanessa and Santiago are crazy about music. Vanessa loves to sing and Santiago loves to dance and play instruments. A few weeks ago, Santiago got a song book from his preschool with all the songs he and his classmates would sing during their annual Christmas show last week. As soon as Vanessa got a hold of the song book, she started singing out loud as many as the songs she already knew and just readingRead More ...

When one of my daughter’s first words was D-d-d-dora I knew there was something special about this character. As a new mamá, I am watching children’s programs for the first time, getting to know what they are about and trying to figure out which are best for my daughter, Little L. Although she just turned 1, I do rely on some TV to help me with raising her bilingual. Little L’s exposure to Spanish is limited, and as I amRead More ...

  Passing on cultural traditions (both Mexican and US) to our children is extremely important to my husband and I: language, food, celebrations and religion are four significant areas that we try to integrate into our lives. Not only does it help them identify with both the English and Spanish communities, but these daily and special occasions strengthen the bond we have within our family, instill pride in their heritage and increase their language competence. When my husband was growingRead More ...

The very first Thanksgiving my husband and I spent together, was only three months after we had met and started dating.What a valiant boyfriend, to accept an invitation home to meet my family on one of my family’s favorite holidays! This intimidating family feast included 60 of my aunts, uncles and cousins in an animated sit-down dinner. As Toño followed the boisterous conversations, he may not have captured all of the English — but the warm hugs and laughter gaveRead More ...

Last time I visited the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C., I noticed that a section was closed as they were making changes but I didn’t know why – Now I discover it’s due to an addition that I cannot wait to go check out with my family! “FOOD: Transforming the American Table, 1950-2000″ opened yesterday, November 20th, 2012. The 3,800-square-foot exhibit includes seventy years of Latino food history and explores the social and cultural changes of eatingRead More ...