Should I Celebrate spanish holidays with my daughter even though i am not hispanic?

Question

My daughter is half white and half hispanic(dad is from panama) her dad and i aren't together and he doesn't really have anything to do with her. Should i still celebrate spanish holidays with my daughter and teach her about her father's culture? i have already planned on teaching her about my culture shouldn't she know where she comes from?

Answer 1

If you love your daughter it would be a gift to her to offer her all of her heritage. What you don't know research it. Go to a spanish community and seek out advice. Just because he left her physically does't mean he has left her emotionally. She still needs to know where she came from totally. This will cause her not to long for something imaginary she will know the truth of her roots. Get her a spainish teacher so she can learn both languages. It will benefit her greatly to know 2 languages

Answer 2

I think you should tell and teach her about her Panamanian background. Celebrating holidays and having a Quince should be up to her though. She may be fine with not celebrating Panamanian or other Latin traditions. All children should know where they come from though even if one parent is MIA.
I like other Latinas I know were not very immersed, or even taught about our Latin culture when we were young just the other cultures in our family and it caused somewhat of an identity crisis and we are now searching trying to reconnect with our Latin heritage.
Plus it's fun for kids to think of themselves as muticultural and create their own cultural traditions that blend their many backgrounds.
Basically just dont hold anything back from her but dont force her either because then it may become generic to her.
And like the other people said all Latin culture isn't the same. You can teach her about Spanish language and culture but make the focous on Panama. Panama is deffinately different from what most people veiw your everyday Mexican and Puerto Ricans.

Answer 3

It's a novel idea, but atheists are generally so critical even of other atheists that they would never agree to this. A few strays here and there but generally the response is something like this. "Atheism doesn't need a holiday because... It can't have a holiday because... That's not what atheism is about blah blah blah." They can't just lighten up once in a while for Pete's sake! I think a little celebration of independent thinking would be refreshing, and you can bet that all these grumpy atheists would be out and about celebrating their day off after publicly stating here that it would be both against their ideals and improper and "what for." *rolls eyes* lol

Answer 4

You shouldn't do it if your only reason is a sense of obligation. You should only do it if you genuinely want to do it. Be careful, however, since not all "Spanish" holidays are "Panamanian" holidays, you'd probably just end up teaching her the culture of Mexico...which is quite different from Panama.

In other words, the one holiday most Americans equate with Spanish culture is Cinco de Mayo. Not only is that day a relatively minor holiday in Mexico*, it's not a holiday at all in Panama.

* Americans seem to think Cinco de Mayo is Mexican Independence Day...it is not. Mexican Independance Day is celebrated on September 16/17.

Answer 5

You would not be celebrating Hispanic or Spanish holidays, you would be celebrating Panamanian holidays. Expose her to both sides, and let her chose. That way it would be her decision if she want to learn about her other half. For all those people that mention Dia de los muertos, that is not celebrated in Panama. That is celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Haiti, Philippines, some parts of Japan, Korea, and similar beliefs in China, and some Africa cultures!

Answer 6

She may or may not be interested now ... may or may not be interested later. Ask her (assuming she is old enough to be asked/answer a question that carries along with an explanation of why you are asking). I really can't think of a better way to find out, by putting the topic out in the place where it matters, between you and her. That's in my very humble opinion, and only that, my opinion.

Good Wishes to you both.

p.s. to the answerer above: Dia de la muerte is an integral part of the Catholic Church in Hispanic culture. It is a celebration and rememberance, not a pagan ritual.
"http://www.art-e-zine.co.uk/dia.html"

Answer 7

Of course you should!
At first: The more she knows (even about holidays) - the more opportunities she has.
For the second: Have some fun yourself. More holidays won't lead you to anything bad.
Moreover, after wards your daughter won't feel herself tided to one culture, she won't have any stereotypes about that :)
However anyway you should ask your daughter first :)

Answer 8

Why not!
At one point you have enjoyed a relationship with someone from that culture, and there is nothing wrong with celebrating anyway!!

If it is a burden for you, then your daughter can later decide to celebrate or not on her own..

Answer 9

Yes. She should know her background, he still is the father sweetie and her blood is indeed half white half Hispanic. It is very nice of you to do this with your daughter, I know for shure that when she grows up she will be very comfortable with her self knowing where she came from!Good for you mom*

Answer 10

I think kids need to learn everything. I would definitely teach her about her father's culture. My late husband, my daughter's father, was Irish, and we do celebrate St. Patty's Day. (No we don't drink beer anymore, LOL !!!)