Celebrated from the 15th of September to the 15th of October, Hispanic Heritage month is observed across the nation as an homage to the contributions of Hispanic Americans to this great nation.
While one requires no special period to take pride in one’s ethnicity, Hispanic Heritage Month also allows others to know and learn about Hispanic heritage and culture. Some simple examples you will relate to are Pride month, which celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, and Black History Month, which celebrates African-American history. In many ways, these celebrations also help people understand and learn about different cultures, ethnicities, and people.
Understanding crucial differences can help avoid profiling; for instance, most people think that the terms Hispanic and Latino are interchangeable; however, that is not quite the situation. The term Hispanic is used to describe someone of Spanish-speaking origin, whereas Latino, Latina, and Latinx are used to describe a person of Latin American origin. Small things like these make these types of celebrations informative, necessary and fun at the same time.
This article will tell you about Hispanic Heritage Month’s origin and how you can celebrate it. However, before getting to that, let’s ask the most crucial question.
Why is National Hispanic Heritage Month so important for Matador Meggings?
Matador Meggings has redefined the realm of men’s high-performance athleisure wear by making meggings more comfortable, sexy, functional, and stylish. Creating the ideal replacement for boring pants, Matador Meggings have shown the world of men’s fashion that leggings can be fun and sexy simultaneously.
Valentine Aseyo’s vision to do more with meggings was made into a reality by their hard-working team. Based in Miami, the Hispanic community is deeply integrated within the Meggings family. Taking an active initiative to give back and support the Latinx community, Matador Meggings has established a fulfillment center in Columbia and employed Hispanic workers in their fulfillment store in New Jersey. In addition, Matador Meggings’ brand ambassadors are mostly Latino models.
Working closely with people from the Hispanic and Latino communities, their contributions towards the development and success of meggings have been monumental. This is why National Hispanic Heritage Month holds so much significance and value to Matador Meggings.
Who started the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month?
President Lyndon B. Johnson first introduced National Hispanic Heritage Week in 1968. The significance of choosing to commence celebrations on the 15th of September was made clear by President Lyndon B. Johnson in Presidential proclamation 3689. The 15th of September stands as the date Latin American countries—Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua—earned their independence from Spain in 1821. Also, Mexico, Chile, and Belize were granted independence from Spain and the United Kingdom on September 16, 18, and 21, respectively.
It was President Ronald Reagan who made it a month-long affair commencing from September 15th and until October 15th, back in 1988. This was enacted on the approval of Public Law 100-402 on August 17th, 1988.
Understanding the Significance of Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic heritage month is celebrated to acknowledge and show gratitude for the positive impact Hispanic Americans have had on the nation. According to the official government website, Hispanic heritage month celebrates the contributions, histories, and cultures of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.
According to the US Census Bureau, the month pays homage to those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico, and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. This encompasses countries like Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela.
How to celebrate Hispanic heritage month?
If you’re looking to immerse yourself in Hispanic and Latino culture, these ten activities should keep you busy for the entirety of Hispanic Heritage month.
Let’s Begin
1. Take a virtual tour of your favorite countries.
Understanding a specific culture requires knowing about the place, the people, and history. It would be great if you could visit the countries mentioned above. However, you can always take a virtual tour of these countries to extend the horizon of your knowledge about them.
2. Donate to the community
The USA has over 62 million people who identify as Hispanic. You can donate to specific organizations that are actively involved in the welfare and upliftment of Hispanic and Latinx communities. HACU, short for the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, promotes higher education in the Spanish community. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation (CPLC) aims to combat discrimination in Latino and Spanish-speaking communities. Choosing to donate to such organizations helps empower the community.
3. Support Hispanic and Latino Creators
Similar to supporting your favorite Hispanic or Latino celebrities and musicians, make an initiative to check out and support Hispanic and Latino influencers on social media.
4. Enjoy an Authentic Meal
Nothing immerses you deeper into the culture than food. Every single country included in the list above has its signature cuisine for you to choose from. Whether it’s Venezuelan arepa or the seafood paella of Spain, a host of dishes await you.
5. Support Hispanic and Latino Owned Businesses
Choose to shop from Hispanic and Latino-owned businesses to show your love and support during this period and beyond. As a business that actively contributes to the Hispanic and Latinx communities, you can visit matadormeggings.com to check out their extensive range of meggings, shorts, and tops.
6. Take a Dance Class
Whether rumba, cha-cha, mambo, or flamenco, learn a few moves to get acquainted with these dances. Offline and online classes can both help you grasp a working knowledge of these dances.
7. Read Books by Latinx or Hispanic Authors
Delve into the mesmerizing works of Latinx and Hispanic authors. Experience the beautiful poetry of Pablo Neruda, or get a taste of magic realism in the works of Noble Laureate Gabriel Garcia Marquez. There is a host of Hispanic and Latinx writers you can check out.
8. Host your movie night or Binge a series
Choosing films by Guillermo del Toro or Pedro Almodovar can be good options if you’re planning a movie night contextual to Hispanic Heritage Month. Similarly, La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) is a great series to start this month.
9. Find out about Mexican Independence Day
Celebrated on the 16th of September. Roman Catholic Priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla delivered a powerful and moving speech to usher Mexico’s independence from Spain in 1810 on the day.
10. Make game nights more interesting.
Indulge in a game of Mexican bingo, also known as Loteria or Dominoes, to add a bit of culture to game nights during Hispanic heritage month.