Family and friends are very, very important in Spanish-speaking cultures. It
is not uncommon for people to live in the same town for their entire lives and
for families to remain there for many generations. Children who meet in the
first grade will often remain friends throughout their whole lives. Birthdays
are just one of the occasions when family and friends will meet to celebrate.
It cannot be repeated enough that religion plays a very large role in the daily
life of Spanish cultures and in virtually all of their celebrations. In most
regions people have both a birthday and a personal Saint’s Day. Most babies
are named after a saint, so the saint’s feast day ends up being celebrated
just like another birthday. In some areas this event is even more important
than the person’s actual birthday. Imagine how many people all celebrate
on the same day of the saints for whom many people are named after, such as
José (Joseph) or Juan (John)!
Many kids get two celebrations on their birthday or feast day—one with
their friends and one with their family. Kids from ages eight through fourteen
usually invite friends out for a meal, like pizza or something else that is
tasty. It is a tradition in certain countries, like Spain for instance, that
the birthday boy or girl pays the bill. The friends, however, will all chip
in to buy a gift.
The fifteenth birthday is a very special day in the life of a Spanish-speaking
child. In Panamá, the parents will rent a ballroom and have an extravagant
party for the child and invite all of his or her friends and family. In Mexico
and other countries the focus is much more on the girl and her fifteenth birthday,
which is celebrated almost like a “prom” is in the U.S.A., complete
with ball gowns and tuxedos. Sometimes this event is so anticipated that girls
will take dance lessons for months in advance to prepare for the big day!
As in many other cultures, Christmas has become a time to exchange gifts. In
Puerto Rico for example, in addition to the religious meaning behind the holiday,
Christmas is now celebrated with Santa Claus, imitation snow, and the like.
In Venezuela, the Niño Jesus (Baby Jesus) brings gifts.
In quite a few regions, however, Christmas is still preserved as more of a religious
holiday, and El Día de los Reyes Magos (The Day of the Wise Men),
celebrated on January 6, is the day when family and friends exchange gifts.