How Hispanic Diversity Comes to Life During the Holidays

By Maria Lucia Parra – I am a bilingual Hispanic marketing/UX researcher with extensive experience in identifying the right approaches to meet clients’ objectives, as “one size does not fit all”.

In mainstream U.S. culture, Christmas is often seen as a single event centered on December 25. For Hispanic communities across the United States, however, the holiday season extends over several weeks, influenced by country-of-origin traditions, migration histories, and the experiences of living in a multicultural society.

What Hispanic households describe is not a rejection of American customs, but a layering of traditions—where novenas, posadas, Velitas, hallacas, parrandas, and Día de Reyes coexist with Christmas trees, Santa, and gift exchanges. This is where Hispanic diversity becomes most visible: not as a demographic label, but as a lived cultural experience.

Colombia: Christmas Starts Weeks Before Christmas

For many Colombian households, Christmas begins on December 7 with La Noche de Velitas. Colombian families typically light candles and lanterns to celebrate the season, filling streets, balconies, and windows with light, making Velitas a symbol of faith, celebration, and unity.

“Once we light the candles for Velitas, that’s when Christmas really starts for us.” – Colombian, U.S. Hispanic respondent.

Velitas marks the start of the Novena de Aguinaldos (December 16–24), a nightly tradition of prayer, carols, and shared foods such as buñuelos, natilla, empanadas, and hot chocolate. In the U.S., participants often say novenas go along with American decorations and gift-giving customs, with kids just as excited about Santa as they are about the prayers.

“We do the novena every night, but the kids still wait for Santa. We do both.” – Colombian, U.S. Hispanic respondent.

Mexico and Central America: Posadas as Community and Continuity

Although posadas are mostly associated with Mexico, people from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador describe similar pre-Christmas traditions centered on prayer, gathering, and shared meals. In the U.S., these traditions are sometimes simplified, with shorter routes and fewer houses, but their core meaning remains unchanged.

“We may not go house to house like back home, but we still get together, pray, eat, and celebrate before Christmas.” – Central American, U.S. Hispanic respondent.

Among households of Mexican origin, las posadas continue to be a meaningful display of faith and community, leading up to Nochebuena, where tamales, ponche, nativity scenes, and midnight celebrations mark the holiday. For many, the season feels incomplete without the rhythm of posadas counting down the days before Christmas Eve.

“Christmas for us isn’t just one night. Posadas are what make the season.” – Mexican-American, U.S. Hispanic respondent

Venezuela: Food Becomes Cultural Memory

For Venezuelans, Christmas is closely linked to hallacas, symbolizing teamwork, storytelling, and family bonds across generations. Families spend days preparing them, with each person contributing, from spreading the masa to tying plantain leaves, while music and conversation fill the house.

“Making hallacas is when everyone comes together. That’s when it feels like Christmas.” – Venezuelan, U.S. Hispanic respondent.

In U.S. households, hallaca-making is often combined with gaita music and nativity scenes, creating a sense of home even from afar.

Puerto Rico and the Caribbean: Music, Celebration, and an Extended Season

Puerto Rican and Cuban respondents often describe Christmas as lively and extended, characterized by music, food, and celebrations that last beyond December 25. Puerto Rican parrandas, musical visits to friends’ homes, serve a social role similar to posadas, but with rhythm and spontaneity rather than structured prayer.

“Christmas is music, people, food, and noise. It doesn’t stop on the 25th.”- Puerto Rican, U.S. Hispanic respondent.

For many Caribbean families, Día de Reyes (January 6) is just as meaningful as Christmas Day, especially for children.

“The kids still wait for Reyes. That’s something we keep no matter where we live.”- Dominican, U.S. Hispanic respondent.

Peru and the Andean Region: Identity Preserved at the Table

Among Peruvian and other Andean respondents, Christmas traditions are primarily expressed through food and family gatherings. Even with simpler celebrations in the U.S., traditional dishes still play a central role.

“Our Christmas table still looks Peruvian. That’s how we stay connected.”- Peruvian, U.S. Hispanic respondent.

Panetón, hot chocolate, and nativity scenes anchor the evening, often sitting alongside American holiday elements like trees, stockings, and lights.

What This Reveals About the U.S. Hispanic Market

Across countries, generations, and levels of acculturation, several patterns emerge.

• Christmas is a multi-week event, not one day.
• Traditions are layered, not replaced.
• Faith, food, and family remain central, but are expressed differently.
• Country of origin continues to matter deeply within the broader “Hispanic” identity.

“We blend everything—our traditions and American ones. That’s just how our Christmas is.” – U.S. Hispanic respondent.

Why This Matters

Referring to “the Hispanic Christmas” as a single experience oversimplifies reality. What exists instead is a mosaic of traditions, shaped by migration, adaptation, and memory. Velitas, novenas, posadas, hallacas, parrandas, and Día de Reyes are not interchangeable; they are culturally specific expressions of belonging.

For anyone looking to understand or connect with the U.S. Hispanic market, the message is clear: Hispanic diversity doesn’t diminish during the holidays; it actually becomes more prominent.

At Ingenium Research, culture is constantly changing, and Hispanic audiences are never simple. The holiday season highlights this, showing how traditions grow while keeping their meaning. By focusing on authentic voices and cultural context, Ingenium helps brands go beyond assumptions and connect with Hispanic consumers through depth, respect, and understanding.