“Heritage” is defined as the customs and traditions that are handed down from generation to generation of families and society. A person with Latino heritage is a descendant of a family from Mexico, Central America or South America. Peeps who are Hispanic are from a country where Spanish is spoken. In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, (which is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th), let’s check out some of their traditions.

Hispanic Holidays

Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is a proud day for Mexicans who celebrate the victory over the French at the battle of Pueblo on May 5, 1862. The French army was better armed and three times larger but the Mexican army still defeated them. Now every May 5th there are parades, music and lots of celebrating!

Mexican Independence Day
September 16th, 1810 marks the day when Mexican priest, Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, called for the arrest of all Spanish settlers living in the town of Delores. He sparked a revolution that lasted over 11 years. But, by 1821, Mexico managed to claim its independence from Spain.

Puerto Rican Emancipation Day
Emancipation is when slaves were set free. Puerto Ricans celebrate Emancipation Day on March 22nd.

Hispanic Traditions and Culture

• Piñata: A decorated container filled with candy and toys is suspended in the air to be broken by blindfolded kids with sticks. Piñata’s are used as part of Christmas and birthday celebrations in certain Latin-American countries.
• Aztecs: These peeps are the native people of central Mexico whose civilization was at its height at the time of the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century.
• Quinceañera: The Quinceañera is the Latina coming-of-age
  celebration on a girl’s 15th birthday. The word “quinceañera” comes
  from the Spanish words “quince” for 15 and “años” for years.
• El Chupacabra: El Chupacabra is a mythological creature
  whose name translated into English means “the goat-sucker,” because
  that’s exactly what it does. El Chupacabra made its first appearance in the farmlands of Puerto Rico where it left tons of goats dead. All of the goats had been left fully intact, but were drained of all their blood. Scary.

Now that you’re pregnant, you’ve probably heard lots of advice about things you shouldn’t be doing because they could affect your baby. These stories based on traditional beliefs, which some of the elder members of the family may take quite seriously, are now considered pregnancy myths.

In the past, when there was no scientific way to determine why certain things happened, people leaned toward “magical” explanations and then made related recommendations.

As an expectant mom, your main concern is your baby’s well-being. Pregnancy myths can sometimes cause unnecessary anxiety, so keep in mind that they have no scientific basis and you shouldn’t worry about them.

However, those old beliefs are a part of our cultural heritage — and they’re entertaining. The fact that they have no medical basis doesn’t mean we can’t listen to them with love and understanding — especially if they’re coming from your abuelita, your elderly aunt, or your mom, who is just trying to share with you what worked for her in her time.

So, have fun reading these myths. They’ll give you an idea of how people thought in the past.