3.4 North American and Latin American Cultural Traditions
Completion requirements
Spanish Language and Culture 10-3Y
North American and Latin American Cultural Traditions
Cultural celebrations and holidays make countries unique and represent the diversity and traditions of their people.
In Latin America, and in North America, there are many cultural celebrations and holidays. Here are some examples.
Listen to the pronunciation of these special days, as you click to reveal more details. Just Pause to practice and read at your own pace.
| Celebration | Latin America |
North America |
How do people celebrate this Holiday or Tradition? |
|---|---|---|---|
DÃa de la Independencia |
Cuba: October 10th Mexico: September 16th Argentina: July 9th |
Canada: July 1st USA: July 4th |
All: Firework performances, public concerts, parades, carnivals, etc. Fireworks are a big deal in Latin America! |
| Celebration | Latin America |
North America |
How do people celebrate this Holiday or Tradition? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DÃa de Acción de Gracias |
Nada |
Canada: 2nd Monday in October USA: 4th Thursday in November |
Families reunite to have a turkey dinner and to express gratitude for the harvest and all that they have. |
| DÃa de la Raza | El segundo lunes de octubre. Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela | Dia De La Raza (Race) celebrates the heritage, colonization, and cultural diversity of Latin America. Often the colonization is not actually celebrated - this is an opportunity to celebrate Indigenous culture. |
| Celebration | Latin America |
North America |
How do people celebrate this Holiday or Tradition? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quinceañero |
Most countries in Latin America. Date of 15th birthday for girls only - that is why you usually hear "Quinceañera" referring to the girl celebrating. | Nothing special for the 15th birthday. The 16th birthday is sometimes a special one, because most can now get a driver's license. |
Latin America: On their 15th birthday, teenage girls have a huge family celebration that almost resembles a traditional North American wedding. They go to church for a special ceremony (mass). They usually wear a long, formal dress and tiara. After mass, they celebrate
with a dinner and formal dance with family and friends. |
| Celebration | Latin America |
North America |
How do people celebrate this Holiday or Tradition? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DÃa de los Muertos |
México, Guatemala, Ecuador November 1, 2, or 3. (Not celebrated in Spain). |
Hallowe'en is celebrated October 31st, but is nothing like DÃa de los Muertos. |
Latin America: This is rooted in Indigenous beliefs. Families and friends meet to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. They create decorative altars in their homes and along the streets with their favourite foods and photos. They
clean and decorate the grave sites. There is usually a parade in the late evening. |
| Celebration | Latin America |
North America |
How do people celebrate this Holiday or Tradition? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DÃa de los Reyes |
Many Latin American countries and Spain: January 6th |
Some families recognize this date as Epiphany, but mostly, it is just another day. |
Latin America and Spain: Children put their shoes outside of the their bedrooms at night. In the morning they find gifts from the three kings: Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltazar. (They don't receive gifts Dec. 25) Families celebrate in parties with traditional food and music to commemorate the last day of the Christmas season. |