The arepas are frying and the mariachis are tuning up — it’s Hispanic Heritage Month! Every September, families all over the world celebrate their Hispanic heritage. We take this time to honor those who came before us, incredible voices who have elevated Hispanic culture around the world, and teach our children what it means to celebrate our culture. 

What is Hispanic Heritage Month?

Originally celebrated as a weeklong tradition in the 1960s, Hispanic Heritage Month is now celebrated from September 15 to October 15 each year. According to The Library of Congress, this is an auspicious time of year because, “September 15… is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively.”

That means this four-week period is packed with our history: Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to learn more about our culture and our ancestors while celebrating the things that make us who we are.

At MexiCrate, one of our favorite ways to celebrate our heritage is with the flavors that remind us of home. Nostalgia is a powerful ingredient in our candies and savory treats, and that’s why we’re spending this Hispanic Heritage Month cooking up new traditions for our families!

Whether you’re celebrating your first Hispanic Heritage Month to learn more about your history, or you’re taking part in time-tested traditions with the whole family, here are five ideas from our familia to yours. Try these 5 new traditions this Hispanic Heritage Month — and don’t forget to stock up on your favorite Mexican candies to keep the party going all year long!

5 Nostalgic Traditions to Introduce This Hispanic Heritage Month

1. Cook an authentic meal as a family.
There’s no better way to feel connected to your family than by cooking a meal together. Treat yourself and your family to classic Hispanic recipes, like empanadas, arepas, elote, birria — and of course, tacos with plenty of homemade guacamole and salsa.

One of the most appealing parts of Hispanic food culture is the way it brings people together. Many members of the MexiCrate team have incredible memories of standing at the kitchen counter with their abuelas, packing masa into corn husks for perfect tamales. In fact, making tamales as a family is such a huge Hispanic tradition that we even have a name for it! A “tamalada”, or tamale-making party, brings generations of the family together in one kitchen to make masa from scratch and turn out delicious tamales.

If corn isn’t your style, try a traditional taco feast, or break out the recipe books to craft a delicious flan for dessert. And while you’re cooking, snack on all your favorite Mexican candies, available in our online dulceria!

2. Connect with other generations.
Another great way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month is by learning from other generations. If you come from a huge Hispanic family, you’re probably familiar with massive family gatherings and celebrations. This month is a great time to connect with the people you don’t talk to often, like the tias and tios still living in your parents’ home country.

One thing the MexiCrate team likes to do is talk — and our families sure have a lot to say! If you get the chance this Hispanic Heritage Month, ask your abuela about her childhood, or encourage your cousins to share their favorite memories and traditions from home. And if you come from outside of a Hispanic family, this is a great time to connect with Hispanic people in your community. Whether that means learning more about Hispanic culture from a neighbor or attending a heritage event at your local library, you can celebrate Hispanic culture by connecting with the people around you!

3. Learn something new.
Always wanted to learn Spanish? Have you ever danced the flamenco? Or do you just want to get hands-on with a Hispanic cooking class? Hispanic Heritage Month is the perfect time of year to learn something new about Hispanic culture. The best way to feel connected to our history is to learn more about it.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, take a deep dive into your history by learning something new: A few Spanish phrases and colloquialisms you haven’t heard before, some fun facts about your family or neighborhood, or a tour around a historic Hispanic heritage site can all be excellent ways to celebrate.

4. Attend a local heritage festival.

Many Hispanic neighborhoods around the US and beyond use Hispanic Heritage Month as a time to get the whole community together. The music blasts and the conversation flows, and these celebrations of Hispanic culture bring a smile to everyone’s face. If you live close to an annual festival, grab a friend and a couple of tickets and get in on the action.

Heritage festivals are an incredible way to learn about culture through food, performance, art, and celebration. Many local heritage festivals offer language lessons, dance workshops, and arts and crafts based on historic, traditional practices. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the food! There’s nothing quite like walking into a neighborhood festival and having all those incredible scents hit your nose — fry oil, fresh masa, sharp peppers, and our beloved tamarindo fill the air.

5. Immerse yourself in the culture.
Finally, immersing yourself in Hispanic culture is a great Hispanic Heritage Month tradition for people looking to get to know their history, or anyone looking to learn more about Hispanic culture.

The best part of this tradition is that it can change year over year: Perhaps in 2022, your family watches a Spanish-language film together while snacking on authentic empanadas from your neighborhood cocina. Next year, you can take a salsa dancing class, or take a tour of a local Hispanic heritage site, like a restored fort or an authentic Spanish mission in the American Southwest.

Wherever your Hispanic Heritage Month may take you, MexiCrate is here to take the journey, too. Shop your favorite nostalgic childhood treats, or take a deep dive into Mexico’s rich candy culture with one of our monthly subscription boxes. These have a little bit of everything, so you can take a tour through some of the most famous flavors in Hispanic culture!

From our familia to yours, we wish you a very happy Hispanic Heritage Month!