The anticipated League of Latinos’ annual Tamales for the Holiday event was a success! Pleas- ing was to hear and receive positive feedback from satisfied faculty, students, and community members who enjoyed the delicious homemade tamales and salsa provided that afternoon. League of Latinos: Tamales for the Holidays DECEMBER 2013 VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5 Did you know? The tamale is recorded as early as 5000 BC, possibly 7000 BC in Pre-Columbian history. As the warring tribes of the Aztec, Mayan, and Incan cul- tures grew, the demand of readying the nixtamal (corn) itself became so overwhelm- ing a process, a need arose to have a more portable sustain- ing foodstuff...hence the ta- male was born. Inside this issue: League of Latinos 1 Our People 2 Our Events 3 Our Memories 4 Our Information 5 Our Christmas Festivities Dec 12 :Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe or the Feast Day of our Lady of Guadalupe, patron saint of Mexico. - This day commemorates her last of four appearances to an Indian convert named Juan Diego in December 1531. She left a marvelous portrait of herself on the mantle of Juan Diego. This miraculous image has proved to be ageless, and is kept in the shrine built in her honor, the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Dec 16-24 Las Posadas (Practiced in Mexico, Guatemala and other Central American countries). - Las Posadas commemorate the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem and their search for a place to stay. Family and friends visit one another in their homes and enjoy conversations and traditional foods, and visitors sing carols. Colombians celebrate a similar holiday called “La Novena”, and for nine days, families pray and sing traditional carols. Dec 24 & 25 (La Nochebuena y la Navidad, Christmas Eve and Christmas.) Preparing traditional foods is an integral part of the holiday. In many Catholic countries, people attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve. Family quality time is emphasized greatly during this time of year. Sources: http://ucanr.edu/sites/Spanish/Calendario/Major_Holidays_and_Celebrations_of_Spanish-Speaking_Countries/ http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2013-12-12