Celebrating el Amor y la Amistad  

One of my favorite holidays has to be Día del Amor y la Amistad. When I grew up in Guatemala, celebrating Valentine’s Day had a special twist: it was a celebration of love and friendship. This year, I wanted to show my kids what Día del Amor y la Amistad is all about. As a working mom, I got some help from AI to make it easier on myself. Whether you follow these suggestions or create your own traditions, what matters most is showing appreciation to the incredible people in your life, making each year together even more special. 

I’m planning on hosting some friends and family to celebrate this special day. For invitations, a casual text could do the trick, but why not add un toque personal? I used Microsoft Designer with a prompt such as “create an animated invitation for my Día del Amor y la Amistad party. Must use red, pink, and white and add hearts. Use playful style and animation to make it more exciting.” ¡Y listo! In seconds, I got multiple personalized designs that perfectly capture the vibe I’m going for. 

Greeting Card

¡Ahora, lo importante! What’s a celebration without some desserts? My kids love cooking together, so I wanted to use this as an opportunity to do something fun with them and connect to my Guatemalan heritage. I typed a prompt in Microsoft Copilot to “give me a list of easy Guatemalan dessert recipes.” You might add more specific requirements, such as dietary restrictions and your favorite ingredients, to make sure the recipes are tailor-made for you. We made the bananos con crema. ¡Delicioso! 

Latina mom cooking in the kitchen with her two children

My kids also love doing crafts together, so I thought this year it would be fun to find some creative ideas to celebrate Día del Amor y la Amistad. I asked Copilot to “give me detailed instructions to make Día del Amor y la Amistad cards with my kids.” The suggestions gave them an easy, homemade way they can share their love with their friends and family.  

Children doing arts and crafts on Valentines Day

Now let’s talk about música. I wanted to gift something special to my husband this year, so I asked AI to “recommend romantic salsa, bachata, and merengue songs for a playlist I’m making for my husband to celebrate Día del Amor y la Amistad.” It gave me many amazing classic hits that I’ll mix with some songs that we share special memories of for a gift he will always have with him.  

These are just a few ideas that I think you’ll love, but the beauty of amor y amistad lies in making it your own.

– Sarah DiDonato, Senior Communications Manager, Microsoft