Hispanic Culture: Traditions, Facts & Beliefs – Video & Lesson Transcript | Study.com

Video Transcript

Living Hispanic Traditions

You’ve probably seen children having fun with a piñata at a birthday party or admired the colorful skull make-up typical of the Mexican celebration called Día de Muertos. Hispanic culture is full of vibrant traditions and customs that are worth knowing and living.

Let’s discover different beautiful and unique traditions all over the Hispanic world. Some of them are shared by many Spanish-speaking countries; others are unique to a specific country. Let’s get started!

Let’s look at some interesting celebrations and traditions in Spain and Latin America.

Día de Muertos

On November 1 and 2, Mexicans celebrate Día de Muertos (DEE-ah deh MWEHR-tohs), or Day of the Dead, a special holiday honoring deceased relatives and friends who are believed to return from the afterlife to celebrate with them.

People set up colorful altares (ahl-TAH-rehs), altars, decorating them with portraits; flowers; candles; pan de muerto (pahn deh MWEHR-toh), a type of sweet bun; and calaveritas de azúcar (kah-lah-beh-REE-tahs deh ah-SOO-kahr), sugar skulls. Also, Mexicans typically dress up and paint their faces to resemble a skull. The most typical representation of death is La Catrina. This beautiful holiday has been declared Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

New Year’s Eve

New Year’s Eve is called Nochevieja (noh-cheh-BYEH-hah), literally ‘old night’ in Spanish. As in many places around the world, families and friends get together to have dinner and enjoy the last evening of the year. But there is an interesting and unique tradition, or rather, a superstition, taking place at midnight. Everyone eats twelve grapes, called uvas de la suerte (OO-bahs deh lah SWEHR-teh), lucky grapes, one with each stroke of midnight. Every grape symbolizes a lucky and prosperous month ahead.

This tradition is a must in Spain and has been adopted by other countries, such as Mexico, Colombia, and Chile. It’s worth trying it just for fun!

Día de Reyes

On January 6, Spain and most Latin American countries celebrate Día de Reyes (DEE-ah deh REH-yehs), or Kings’ Day. This is a very special day, especially for children, which marks the end of the Christmas season.

Children go and see the parades to admire and welcome the Three Kings who come from the Middle East accompanied by their pages. They usually get some candy and eagerly await their presents, which will be delivered once they’ve gone to bed. Before going to bed, everyone leaves a shoe somewhere in the house, where they’ll find the presents the Kings have delivered the following morning.

Food & Other Traditions

You might have heard or come across a sign with the words Buen provecho (bwehn proh-BEH-choh) at a restaurant. This is the equivalent of ‘Enjoy your meal,’ although its literal meaning is ‘make the most of it.’ Spanish speakers always say this when sitting down at the table or to someone who is about to eat. Let’s talk about some interesting gastronomic traditions.

Tapas

Tapas (TAH-pahs) are an icon of the Spanish gastronomy. These are small portions of food or snacks of various types, from olives or cheese to more elaborate dishes, like tortilla, Spanish omelet, or albóndigas, meatballs.

There are many stories about the origin of tapas. According to some people, bartenders used to cover drinks with a saucer to protect them from flies (tapa literally means cover or lid). Then, they started to serve a small snack, like a slice of ham, on top. Customers appreciated this gesture and continued drinking and coming back. Over time, this became a habit and the tapas tradition was born. Today, lots of Spaniards plan to ir de tapas, which means going out and socializing while enjoying different tapas, sometimes from bar to bar.

Tamales

Tamales are a Latin American dish made of corn dough filled with meat and chilies and wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves, although there are variations from country to country. This recipe is rooted in the Aztec and Maya civilizations.

The making of the tamales is considered a ritual, since it’s a laborious process, including the preparation of the dough, the filling, and the wrapping. So, they are not just a meal—they symbolize unity, joy, and sharing. They are typically prepared for special occasions, such as Día de Muertos or Christmas, although they can be eaten all year round. In Peru, for example, they are a favorite Sunday breakfast food.

Piñata

A birthday party wouldn’t be complete without a piñata (pee-NYAH-tah), a papier-mâché decorated container filled with candy, small toys, and confetti. They hang from the ceiling or trees and blindfolded people strike them with a stick. Although today piñatas are a central element of birthday parties in many countries, they originated as a religious tradition in the Posadas, the nine-day Christmas celebration in Mexico (from 16 to 24 December).

Whether you’re a child or an adult, piñatas are always fun. So much so that there’s a popular Mexican song that goes: No quiero oro, no quiero plata, yo lo que quiero es romper la piñata (‘I don’t want gold, I don’t want silver, what I want is breaking the piñata‘).

Lesson Summary

Hispanic culture is full of vibrant traditions and customs. Día de Muertos, is a special Mexican holiday honoring deceased relatives and friends. Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve), in which family and friends get together tho have dinner and enjoy the last evening of the year. People eat the twelve lucky grapes (uvas de la suerte) to bring luck to each of the coming twelve months.

There are gastronomic delights such as tapas, small appetizers, and tamales, corn dough filled with meat and wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves. Finally, piñatas are used at birthday parties. They consist of a papier-mâché decorated container filled with candy, small toys, and confetti. They hang from the ceiling or trees, and blind-folded people strike them with a stick.