36 Classic Signs You're At A Latino Thanksgiving

[news]

[news]

There's no right or wrong way to celebrate Thanksgiving. 

Every family adds their own personal touches and cultural flare, creating ever-evolving traditions and customs that reflect who they are and where they come from. This is especially true of Latinos. 

With this in mind, HuffPost Latino Voices polled our followers on social media by asking “What are some signs you’re at a Latino Thanksgiving?” 

Here’s what they had to say:

1. "There is always Latin music on blast all day, from when mommy wakes up at 6 to put the turkey and pernil in the oven until the last person goes home."- Erica D. Collazo

2. "There’s more than enough food and everyone is greeted with a hug, laughter, love, and a least one crazy relative."- Marisa Campas Hughes 

3. "You have to go to your neighbors house and buy the pasteles."- Gianni Angel Canino-Rodriguez 

4. "You know you are at a #latinothanksgiving when family conversations are largely in Spanglish."- Dawn Marie H-Watson 

5. "There’s lots of loud conversations and laughter, but when everyone eats, it’s scary quite."- Jennifer Huertas Badilla


6. "There are more people than chairs."- Valeria Garcia 

7. "When your nana yells at you to get out of the kitchen, so you eat nothing but pozole bread until the food’s done."- Mireya Aguilera 

8. "You get together in the early afternoon and stay for hours, with enough time to go back for seconds, thirds, and make two rounds of the dessert table."- Bianca Galindo

9. "The driveway is totally blocked by all the cars parked there for your party-slash-dinner." -IsaArias

10. "You're eating at around 8pm."- Gustavo Fontoura 

11. "Salsa is playing in the background and you don't have any of the traditional fixings with the turkey but instead have rice and beans and other Latino side dishes."-Luz Infante 

12. "When you start off with Peruvian Ceviche first!"- Peter Andrews 

13. "When everyone prefers serving tamales over a lame turkey, but y'all still cook a turkey."- Kimberly M. Price

14. "You don't have turkey, you have pernil and there isn't any  mashed potatoes, but you have arroz con gandules and potato salad!"- Tiffany Albavera 

15. "The turkey is covered in mole."- Diana H Friesenhahn 

16. "And the turkey is seasoned with lots of adobo."- American Latino Radio 

 


via GIPHY




 17. "The turkey is stuffed with mofongo."- Jimmy Reyes 

18. "When the stuffing inside of the turkey is made of pork. We call it 'pavochon.'"-  Sandra Burgos-Sierra

19. "You put red chile instead of gravy on your mashed potatoes." - Emilio Ralph Gonzales 

20. "When they have chuchitos (Guatemalan tamales)."- Ana Escobar Cano  

21. “You grub on some panes con chumpe!”- Elizabeth Santos 


via GIPHY




22. "There's tostones y turrón!"- Blanca Acevedo 

23. "You have platanos y crema for appetizers and flan for dessert."- Christian Ucles

24. "And flan de calabaza replaces pumpkin pie!"-  Mars Salcie-Gautreaux 

25. “People are drinking coquito instead of eggnog.”- Ana Sánchez 

26. “There’s ponche caliente.” - Rodrigo De Ávila 

27. “You have tamales, pozole, champurrado, and tequila, and all of your primos are with you in the same household for dinner.”- Luis Arroyo 

28. “[Someone asks], ‘¿Y tu novio?’”- Katie Piura Gaitan 

29. “When your tías ask if you have a girlfriend even after you told them you're gay 4 years ago.”- Julian Bugarín Quezada 

30. “You start arguing with your relatives about their problematic views on sex, religion, and race.”- Elizabeth Morales 


via GIPHY




 31. "Playing loteria afterwards!"- Pat Gallegos Thompson 

32. "There's inevitably at least one person dancing while holding a full plate of arroz con gandules y pernil. That person's usually me."- Tanisha Ramirez






 33. "Taking a plate home for a tio or cousin who doesn't come."- Angela Paula Hernandez

34. “When leftovers turn into turkey tamales, tacos, and tostadas.”- Heriberto Hernandez Jr. 

35. “When we all show up to grandmas house the next day for the recalentado.”- Alberto Perez 

36. "You make it more about truly giving thanks and you don't care about the historical context. It's just another great excuse to love our families, feel grateful, and be together around delicious food."- Patty Ramirez Pinckney 

Responses have been edited and condensed for clarity. 

Also on HuffPost:

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.












More...