Mark your calendars, it’s National Hispanic Heritage Month.
It began September 1968 as only a week and was later expanded August 1988 into a month.
The festivities begin Thursday, Sept. 15, which is the anniversary of the independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. The month ends Oct. 15.
Hispanic Heritage Month honors the culture and traditions of people whose background stems from Spain, Mexico, the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America and the Caribbean.
Hispanic is a term used for those whose ethnic origin is in a Spanish-speaking country. The U.S. Census Bureau defines Hispanic as a Spanish-speaking person of any race in the United States.
Famous Hispanic-Americans include actors Martin Sheen, Cameron Diaz and singer Enrique Iglesias.