HHM Unidos Through Wellness
Food, Music, Laughter: A Cultural Recipe for Wellness
Filed Under: Generations, Hispanic / Latino, Multicultural, Food & Beverage, Qualitative Research, Quantitative Research
Jaelynn Theobalds
Associate, Communities & Panels
Hispanic Heritage Month is a meaningful time to celebrate the cultures, traditions, and contributions of Hispanic communities. It is also an opportunity for me to reflect on my own life and on the experiences that shaped me, the people who grounded me, and the ways my cultural heritage has influenced how I understand wellness. For me, wellness is not limited to physical health; it also lives in joy, connection, tradition, and belonging.
I first experienced this sense of well-being during my childhood, when my dad would send my sister and me from Ohio to New York City to spend three months with my Venezuelan grandmother and the rest of his family. New York City was exciting, but what stayed with me was the sense of energy, connection, and belonging that felt different from anything I had known before. Looking back, I realize those summers nurtured my wellness in ways I did not fully understand at the time. Through food, music, laughter, and celebration, I learned that caring for ourselves can also mean staying connected to the people, traditions, and experiences that make us feel whole.
Today, wellness is often shown through exercise, healthy meals, meditation practices, and even annual checkups. While these different forms are important, they do not tell the whole story. Wellness also includes emotional, social, and cultural dimensions. It can be found in the relationships we build, the traditions we share, and the moments that bring us joy.
Wellness also includes emotional, social, and cultural dimensions. It can be found in the relationships we build, the traditions we share, and the moments that bring us joy.
Food: Nourishment Beyond the Plate
One of the clearest examples of this comes from my great aunt’s backyard parties. In my family, food has always played a central role in bringing people together. During celebrations and gatherings, relatives would arrive carrying dishes prepared from recipes passed down through generations. Each meal represented more than food; it carried stories, memories, and a connection to our cultural heritage. The table was always filled with an assortment of dishes that provided a variety of food groups and flavors, from arepas, celebrating our Venezuelan heritage to curry goat, emphasizing our West Indian roots. The meals were nourishing in every sense of the word.
More importantly, these gatherings created space for conversation and connection. Family members shared stories about their childhoods, discussed current events, and passed down traditions to younger generations. The food nurtured our bodies, but the experience nourished our sense of identity and belonging. Around the table, wellness became something collective rather than individual.
Music: A Soundtrack for Connection
Just as food brought everyone together, music was always present and served as another powerful source of wellness.
My great uncle proudly took on the role of DJ at every family gathering by curating playlists that kept the energy alive from beginning to end. Salsa, bachata, and reggaeton filled the backyard, creating an atmosphere that encouraged everyone to participate. The music sparked memories for older family members while introducing younger generations to the sounds and stories of our culture.
It was impossible to stay seated for long. Aunts and uncles would dance together, while the younger cousins received informal lessons on the proper steps and rhythms. For many of us, these dances were as much about cultural education as they were about having fun. We didn’t realize we were aiding our physical health though many Hispanic families have long understood this intuitively. A 2023 systematic review published in BMC Public Health found that Latin dance participation can contribute to both physical fitness and improved mental health outcomes, including protection against anxiety and depression. Yet the benefits go beyond exercise alone.
Humor and Celebration: Joy as a Form of Wellness
If food nourished our bodies and music connected us to our culture, humor and celebration enriched our spirits.
One of the things I remember most vividly about family gatherings was the constant laughter. Someone was always telling a story, sharing a memory, or making a joke in Spanish that lost something in translation but still made everyone laugh. My family had a remarkable ability to find humor in everyday situations and turned ordinary moments into lasting memories.
Looking back, those moments provided more than entertainment. They created space for emotional release, resilience, and connection. Whether it was a birthday, holiday, graduation, or simple weekend cookout, each celebration brought us together and reinforced a sense of belonging. Research shows that positive social interactions and laughter can support well-being by reducing stress and strengthening relationships. In my family, those benefits came to life through our gatherings and shared experiences.
These celebrations were never really about the occasion itself. They were about the people. Children played together; adults caught up on life, and grandparents shared stories that kept family history alive. In those moments, everyone felt connected to something larger than themselves.
For many Hispanic families, celebration is not separate from wellness; it is wellness. The joy found in laughter, storytelling, and time spent together reminds us that health is not only about caring for our bodies. It is also about cultivating connection, belonging, and community.
What This Means for Brands
These experiences offer a broader lesson for brands joining conversations about wellness: people may define well-being not only through individual habits, but also through the cultural traditions and shared experiences that help them feel connected and whole.
Consumers are not only looking for products that support their physical health. They are also seeking experiences that foster joy, connection, belonging, and emotional well-being. Many Hispanic consumers already view these elements as essential components of a healthy life.
For brands, this means moving beyond messages focused solely on nutrition, fitness, or self-improvement. Instead, there is an opportunity to celebrate the social and cultural dimensions of wellness by:
- Highlighting the role of food, music, humor, and community in bringing people together.
- Recognizing that joy and celebration can be meaningful expressions of wellness.
- Creating campaigns that reflect multigenerational relationships and shared cultural experiences.
- Showing how products can support connection and help create memorable moments.
- Ensuring wellness initiatives reflect diverse cultural perspectives rather than a singular, individualistic definition of health.
When brands recognize that wellness can be collective as well as personal, they create space for more authentic and inclusive storytelling. Wellness is not only about caring for ourselves; it is also about living fully through the people, traditions, and experiences that bring us joy.
