Fall Edition︱Seasonal
Hispanic Heritage Month | By Sabrina
What is Hispanic Heritage Month?
Hispanic Heritage Month is a month when you can celebrate all the accomplishments Hispanics did and how they contributed to the United States. It is celebrated every year from September 15 through October 15. Every year Hispanic Heritage Month has a theme. This year’s theme was “pioneers of change: shaping the future together.” Many neighborhoods of Hispanic people throw parties or festivals in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month and there are many events that happened around NYC having to do with Hispanic food, art and dance – not to forget the music shows. One NYC event that happened is Tapiz Cultural Art Exhibit. It was an art exhibition at the Queens Public Library that features original artwork of Hispanic artists from the Queens community. The exhibit is centered around the theme "Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together". It was display from September 5 through October 8 at the Central Library. Junta Hispana 2024 is another NYC event. It was a family-friendly event that celebrates the culture, traditions, food, and music of 20 Spanish-speaking countries. It took place on September 29 at Flushing-Meadows Corona Park.
How did Hispanic Heritage Month begin?
Hispanic Heritage Month started as a week long celebration on June 11, 1968. The purpose was to recognize the contributions Latinos made in American history It began with California Congressman George E. Brown, who was able to introduce the idea of Hispanic Heritage Week by introducing The House Joint Resolution 1299 to the House of Representatives. Brown wanted a week long celebration to recognize the role and influence Hispanics had on American history because he represented East Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley, who were mostly Latinx communities. The resolution was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on September 17, 1968. 1968 was the first year Hispanic Heritage Week was celebrated. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed Public 100-402 which allowed Hispanic Heritage Week to last as long as a month as a way to properly celebrate Hispanics. However, it wasn’t officially declared a month long celebration until President George H.W. Bush officially declared a 31 day period for Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15. The dates were decided by the fact that the México’s “ El Grito de Dolores, also known as Mexico Independence Day falls within September and October. The Independence Days of Costa Rica, El Salvador,Guatemala,Honduras and Nicaragua follow soon after Mexican Independence Day and are also celebrated in the months of September and October.
The Aura of Autumn | By Kelly
Autumn or better known as Fall is one of my personal favorite times but I’m not the only one; many people love the pre-winter weather for many reasons. It marks the start of the many celebrations people have like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah and maybe even some birthdays.
In older times, it would mark sadder times because many people’s crops would start freezing up and withering from the cold – which would lead to hunger and disease. This is often why people would pray to their gods for guidance and protection, which could lead to the sacrificing of food and animals. So, its safe to say we live in a better time.
Now, we have a variety of pumpkin flavored foods and drinks to have during this time because its a seasonal tradition. However, some of us don’t celebrate the same things, and that is okay because that’s what makes us interesting. Listening to and learning about other people’s traditions makes it a lot easier to understand them and their beliefs. While some people can’t eat or say certain things due to their religion for example, we can learn about them so we can understand better.
Besides, what better time to do that than in Autumn? Fall is the season of appreciation, getting together, and – a fan favorite – pumpkins!
Autumn or better known as Fall is the pre-winter season which marks the start of many celebrations. In older times however, it would mark the start of hunger and death due to plantations freezing over as well as people being more open to becoming sick. So, it’s safe to say we live in a better time due to people having more access to food and money. People can also take this as a time of reflection because people tend to celebrate more holidays due to it being the end of the year. Fall is the season of appreciation, getting together and a fan favorite—- pumpkins!
New York Halloween Parade History | By Sophia C
The New York Halloween Parade, also known as the Village Halloween parade, began in 1974 when a puppeteer named Ralph Lee organized a small community march in Greenwich Village, Manhattan. His goal was to create a fun and artistic event that would allow people to dress up in costumes and showcase creativity, featuring giant puppets and street performers. What started as a local, small-scale parade quickly grew in popularity as more people joined each year, eager to express themselves through costumes and performance. The event was a hit and today the Village Halloween Parade is one of the largest Halloween celebrations in the world, with tens of thousands of participants and millions of spectators watching in person or on television. The parade has become a symbol of New York City’s vibrant and creative culture, and it continues to be a highlight of the city's Halloween festivities every year.
Halloween History and Symbols | By Rifa
A holiday celebrated around late October, overflowing with joy and friendly thrills.
Have you ever thought of why bats were a common symbol to represent Halloween? Despite the fact they look quite creepy with their sharp wings, when people used to light bonfires to get rid of ghosts, it attracted many insects and other creatures. Which included bats, however bats were also believed to be foretellers of mortality, perhaps also bringers of a life’s ending.
There has been similar evolutions of other traditions such as jack o lanterns and apple bobbing, but that’s a story for another day. In modern days, we celebrate with activities such as trick-or-treating and creative costumes. But have you ever wondered where these traditions originated from?
According to the website of Britannica, all this had taken place dating around 2,000 years ago. However, as Halloween evolved in the United States, more people had started to come up with newer ideas and make Halloween more fun, such as engaging in more activities including treat or treating and luminescent jack-o-lantern art carved on pumpkins. The tradition of trick-or-treating became popular and more celebrated during the mid 20th-century.
So, if you celebrated, what were your plans to embrace the eerie presences this year?
Halloween, a tradition celebrated in late October, started from the Celtic festival of Samhain, where people lit fires and wore costumes to avoid unwanted spiritual presences. Overtime, Traditions like trick-or-treating and dressing up in costumes changed. Other parts of Halloween such as apple bobbing and the creatures, objects and foods that people consider using during Halloween are also originated in similar ways. As Halloween became more popular in the U.S., it turned into a fun holiday with activities like trick-or-treating and carving fun spooky faces into pumpkins,
Fall Festivities | By Iris
Halloween is a holiday that is celebrated by many people in the world but mainly people in the United states and Canada. We celebrate halloween on the 31 because the ancient Gaelic festival of Samhain, considered the earliest known root of Halloween, occurred on this day.
What do other cultures celebrate around late October and early November?
While it is mainly celebrated in the U.S. and Canada there are other places that have other things they do around this date. For example in Mexico, people celebrate “the Day of the Dead.” Mexicans believe that “the gates of heaven open, allowing the spirit of a deceased loved one to be reunited with their still-living family.” In England, they celebrate Guy Fawkes Day around this time. This is about “the failed assassination of King James I by Guy Fawkes” and others. Instead of trick or treating, on Guy Fawkes Day people go around asking for for a "penny for the Guy." To sum up everything that has been said Halloween is not the only holiday celebrated around this time period. Yet, all these different cultural celebrations bring joy to children around the world.