Real Holidays by Real Families and #Giveaway

This is part of a sponsored collaboration with Latina Mom Bloggers and JCPenney.  However, all opinions expressed are my own.

Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a time dedicated to creating family memories.  It’s one of my favorite times of the year because we get to spend time in the kitchen, cook and catch up with what we’ve been blessed with the last 12 months.

As my son grows up, I try my hardest to instill in him those traditions I participated in as a child.  One of those traditions is the moment when family, friends and neighbors come together to prepare tamales for holiday parties or posadas. The cooking get-together is known as tamaladas.  Tamaladas are great family bonding moments I like to have my son participate in.  Although, he’s still too small to help in the cooking process, I give him the sense of involvement by giving him a little ball of masa and have him play with it.  The masa turns into a form of keeping him busy and ends up as a tortilla shape or  molded into fun little play figures.

Bright, red Noches Buenas or Poinsettias begin to decorate our home inside and out, the unmistakeable colored plant gives our home a festive essence that brings people together.  And let’s not forget the treats!  Champurrado is always on the stove to accompany our piles and piles of buñuelos and sugar sprinkled churros.

By the time December 15 comes around, we prepare for posadas hosted by various family members and neighbors.  With ponche navideño-filled clay mugs, and fun piñatas navideñas in the patio, the event bursts with tradition and happy moments my son will remember for the rest of his life.

Now that I’ve shared a little bit of my holiday spirit with you, JCPenney would also like to share a bit of holiday spirit with their video series “Real Holidays by Real Families.” Through the voice of real people and families JCPenney has chosen real choir singer, boys and girls, to be part of the JCPenney choir and help tell the stories of their multicultural families and how they experience holidays in the United States.  Follow more of the conversation at the JCPenney Latino facebook page, check out the video and enter to win a $50 gift card.  Good luck!