Discusses Latino celebrations, addressing religious and social history, typical customs, special foods and activities. Recipes and instructions provided for making the foods and crafts that represent the traditions.

The Latino Holiday Book is the essential resource for everyone wanting to celebrate and honor the special traditions and celebrations of Hispanic Americans. Author Valerie Menard takes readers through the full year, covering new year's traditions, Día de los Reyes, Calle Ocho, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, the feast of independence, National Puerto Rican Day, the feast of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre and Our Lady of the Divine Inspiration, Día de la Raza (the Latin American version of Columbus Day), Día de los Muertos, the feast day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and Christmas. Weddings, birthdays, and quinceañeras are also explored in rich detail. For each celebration, Menard discusses their religious or social history, typical customs, special foods and activities, and gives recipes and instructions for making the authentic foods and crafts that particularly represent a day's traditions. With a foreword by Cheech Marin, this newly revised and expanded edition is more inclusive of Dominicans and Colombians and features two new holidays: Mother's Day and Día de los Niños.

The essential resource for everyone wanting to celebrate and honor the special traditions and celebrations of Hispanic-Americans. Takes us through the full year, covering: new year1s traditions, Dia de los Reyes, Calle Ocho, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, the feast day of San Juan Bautista, the Cuban and Mexican celebrations of independence, National Puerto Rican Day, the feast of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre and Our Lady of the Divine Inspiration, Dia de la Raza, Dia de los Muertos, the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and Christmas. Weddings, birthdays, and quinceaneras are also explored. For each celebration, she discusses their religious or social history, customs, foods and activities, and gives recipes for making the foods and crafts that represent a day1s traditions.

From Cinco de Mayo to D'a de los Muertos, this newly revised and expanded book explores all the major Latino holidays and traditions.

Twenty-five celebrated Latino writers delight and move us with their recollections of Christmas in this splendid holiday extravaganza. From Julia Alvarez's tale of how Santicló delivered a beloved uncle from political oppression to Junot Díaz's story of his own uneasy assimilation on his first Christmas in America, to Sandra Cisneros's poignant memories of her late father's holiday dinners, Las Christmas gives us true stories from writers of many traditions--memories of Christmas and Hanukkah that vividly capture the pride and pain, joy and heartbreak, that so often accompany the holidays in the Americas. Richly illustrated and embellished with songs and poems, along with recipes for an unforgettable Christmas dinner--from traditional sweet tamales to Puerto Rican asopao (stew) and coquito (coconut eggnog)--this is an enduring treasury of Latino writing to read again and again. A heartwarming holiday gift.

The origins and traditions of these two special holidays are presented in this illustrated reference book with full-color photos for middle readers.