10 Creative Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in 2021
Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of the Hispanic and Latino culture and their contributions to the United States.
Saying “Hispanic” allows for the inclusion of a wide array of different countries, histories, and traditions into one single word. However, there’s an unifying element that holds together all those different cultures and nations: the Spanish language.
Keep reading to discover why we celebrate Hispanich Heritage Month in the US, its history and purpose, some fun facts about it, and 10 creative ways to celebrate it!
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Why Do We Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?
Every year, from September 15 to October 15, the US celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month. This is an opportunity to reflect on the contributions of the Hispanic community to the country.
The Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 theme is: “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope.” For Americans with a Hispanic or Latino heritage, this is a special time of the year in which they can celebrate the uniqueness of their culture and their own traditions.
History of Hispanic Heritage Month
Although since 1968 the US has celebrated a Hispanic Heritage Week, it wasn’t until 1988 when President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration and made it a National Hispanic Heritage Month.
President Reagan also set the dates of September 15 and October 15, which aren’t random. September 15 is Central American countries’ Independence Day, while Mexico celebrates it on the next day. Chile’s Independence and Columbus Day are also set on these dates.
Fun Facts About Hispanic Heritage Month
Before getting into the best ideas for celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, let’s learn some quick and fun facts about it.
- Latinos are the largest ethnic minority (57.5 million) in the U.S.
- Hispanics are changing the way Americans eat.
- 40 million U.S. residents aged 5 and older speak Spanish at home.
- Spanish-speaking people are more positive (according to researchers).
10 Creative Ways to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
If you want to know how to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, here you have 10 fun and creative activities to do precisely that with your kids or students.
1. Play Lotería!
Lotería is the Latin American equivalent of the American Bingo. This game, brought to Mexico by the Spanish, quickly became a traditional feature in every Mexican fair. Clemente Jaques started publishing the game in 1887, and the images of this version of Lotería have become iconic pieces and even considered as Latin American artworks.
Play these games with your kids and learn some Spanish vocabulary while having some typical Latin American fun!
2. Learn About Hispanic Artists
One of the best ways to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month is to learn more about the Hispanic culture. Do some research with your students about Latin American artists—they will be amazed about the fascinating and colorful world that hides behind these original minds. This celebrated Mexican children’s book is an excellent gateway into the life of the great Frida Kahlo. You can also go to a museum featuring Latino art and culture, or do a virtual visit to some exhibitions exploring the Hispanic world.
3. Make Tacos for Dinner!
Or arepas, or ceviche, or even mole! The point is that you engage with your children on a quest to discover a piece of the extraordinary Hispanic traditional gastronomy. Search on the internet for interesting dishes, look for their recipes, go to the market to find the ingredients (including the spicy ones), and prepare dinner together while learning the names in Spanish of every ingredient and step of the process.
You can learn a lot of new vocabulary while preparing some delicious tacos!
4. Hold a Hispanic Film Fest
You and your students are going to love this activity. Make a list of classic (old and modern) Hispanic films and find where to watch them on the internet, and then set the dates for each movie night.
You can choose a film from a different country each time, or start with the early works of the Three Amigos whose films are easier to find due to their popularity in Hollywood these days. In any case, make sure to watch the original versions in Spanish and, if needed, you can add Spanish or English subtitles, depending on the level of your students.
5. Listen to Hispanic Podcasts
Listening to Spanish podcasts is another great way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. By listening to podcasts in native Spanish, your kids get used to the speed, tone, and different accents of the language, and also learn about the Hispanic culture and way of life.
There are Spanish podcasts for all levels, you can find here some options for kids, for beginners, and for intermediate learners.
6. Make a Piñata!
Okay, I’m not going to lie to you, this is messy! I’ve done it before with my own children and my students, and every time our working area ends up a complete mess. However, we’ve also had a lot of fun!
Find a nice video that guides you step by step throughout the process of making a piñata. You can try finding a video in Spanish but it’s very important that you understand what you’re listening to. In the case you prefer to follow a video in English, you can still learn the Spanish words for each one of the materials and parts of the piñata.
And don’t forget about the best part: filling the piñata with candies and then breaking it!
7. Learn About Latin America’s History
This blog post is a great way to start, but you can also read books or watch documentaries about this fascinating topic. If you have a big class, you can assign a different country to each student, so they can do their own research and present their findings to the class. This way, your students will learn a little bit of history about a lot of different Hispanic nations.
8. Make a Latin American Music Playlist
This one is easy and enjoyable! Create your own playlist with the music of Latin pop stars such as Shakira or Ricky Martin! Also include some classic salsa songs from Celia Cruz, and a few rancheras from Vicente Fernández. This is a fun way for your kids to have a lot of fun and learn plenty of new Spanish words.
If your students are interested in Latin American rock, I highly recommend you first watch the Netflix documentary Rompan todo (“Break It All”), to discover why some people say that rock’s future is in Latin America.
9. Watch a Hispanic TV Show
The benefits of watching TV in Spanish are many and well-documented. Your students will get used to the rhythm and speed of the language more easily. They will also pick up slang words and idioms. Finally, they will learn about the Hispanic culture, which is precisely the point of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Find good Spanish series for teenagers here, some excellent Spanish drama series, and you can even try to use this interesting Chrome extension that helps you to make the most of watching TV in Spanish.
10. Read a Hispanic Author
Last but not least, you can celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by introducing your students to the fascinating world of Latin American literature. If you need some ideas, here you can find a thorough review of the Top 10 Most Remarkable Latin American Authors of All Time.
Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with your kids or students, and make the most of this opportunity to teach and learn more about the fascinating Hispanic culture. This helps to expand your kids’ global awareness and understanding of diversity. By exploring the Spanish culture and language, you open the door to a whole new world of ideas, traditions, and ways of life.
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a free class from Homeschool Spanish Academy where we teach more than 24,000 actively enrolled students every month. We offer flexible scheduling, tailored Spanish packages, and high school Spanish credit with transcripts.
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