Simple Ways Mexican Americans Get Cozy for the Winter

Fall is in full swing and that means there are all those things that most Americans' love like pumpkin patches, hay rides, and drinking their weight in pumpkin spice latte's. While those are staples when it comes to the Fall season it's not necessarily the standard when you grow up in a Latino and/or Spanish speaking household.

Food

The food during Fall and Winter is special because it's meant to keep you warm or get you a bit plumper. Like for instance making tamales and freezing them in advance for the holidays or eating some pan dulce for breakfast on the weekends. Some foods do just taste better when it's cold outside like posole or arroz con leche because they just embody the feeling of warmth.

Keeping Warm

A big part of Fall and Winter in a Latino household is your parent's constantly telling you to stay warm otherwise they insist you will catch a cold. A big part of that comes from the blankets that are extremely fluffy and comfy that are usually bought at flea markets. If you don't know what I'm talking about they are blankets that usually have an animal (mine has a tiger), flowers, or la Virgen de Guadalupe adorning it while being the warmest thing you own. It just screams 'welcome to abuelas house, have you eaten?' and they are something that most, if not all, latinos will have in their bedroom during the cold months.

Many of those traditions do include lots of the same things as other non-Latino families such as spending time together, laughing, dancing and of course food. Some of these traditions or items go back generations and resonate with so many people that the experience is almost universal.