“Through sharing my culture with my daughter, I became closer to it myself.”

For Mariana Prato, 28, living in the UK but originally from Portugal, motherhood became a journey of rediscovering herself and her heritage.

Mariana never realised how important her culture was to her until she saw little flashes of herself in her daughter, her intricate laugh, the way her eyes crinkle when she smiles, and the slight change in her accent now and then.

Every little detail in her daughter sparked vivid memories that brought her back home.

“Every time I teach her a tradition, I’m not just sharing a ritual; I’m sharing a piece of myself and the strength of all the women who came before me,” Mariana says. It is in these moments that past and present meet, where love flows across generations.

“When I share with her the things my own mother did with me, I start to understand what my whole heritage is about and what that fiery, passionate lady was sharing with me all along,” she laughs. “I begin to realise it turns out my mamã wasn’t crazy at all; she was full of honour for Portugal.”

For Mariana, passing on her culture is about more than language or customs; it is about weaving an invisible thread of belonging. “Speaking Portuguese with her feels like passing down little secret messages, a language of love, history, and belonging that no one else can take away.”

“And hearing her little voice repeat back to me ‘mamã’ made my heart swell; it’s the sweetest connection to my own childhood and the love I grew up with.”

For the first few years of her daughter’s life, Mariana didn’t fully understand what was drawing her to these vivid memories in everyday activities together. But when she saw her daughter grow passionate about their culture, it clicked: this is where they both belonged, celebrating Portugal together.

Their shared rituals, cooking traditional dishes, telling family stories, and celebrating holidays sit at the heart of their bond.

“The moments we spend cooking, talking, or celebrating are more than just activities; they are the threads that stitch our hearts together.”

These small acts of cultural sharing bring stories of history and hope to life. “Our culture carries stories of survival and hope, and by sharing them with my daughter, I’m giving her roots to hold onto no matter where life takes her.”

“She’s learning about her grandparents and the richness of life that they embraced, the music that they played, and she loves to dance along with them. It always makes me laugh.”

“Last year, we went to a Portuguese festival, and watching her participate in the dance, surrounded by families who shared our language and traditions, I felt a wave of pride and belonging I hadn’t fully grasped before. It was like seeing my childhood and future wrapped into one moment.” 

Mariana recalled seeing her daughter embrace the heritage that she once took for granted, which stirred something deeply emotional inside of her. She never realised when she first moved to the UK that it would hit her so much. 

She says: “When she laughs at the same stories I heard as a child, it’s like time folds in on itself and our hearts beat in sync.”

Mariana hopes her daughter will feel the strength of this legacy every day. “I want her to know that she is part of a story much bigger than herself, a story of love, sacrifice, and pride that lives inside her.”

Living far from Portugal means Mariana often balances tradition with life in the UK.

“Some customs don’t translate perfectly,” she admits, “but adapting them helps keep our heritage alive in a way that feels natural here.”
Whether it’s adjusting holiday celebrations around work schedules or combining British and Portuguese foods at the table, Mariana sees adaptation as part of cultural resilience, revolving without losing the heart of what makes her roots special.

Through their shared culture, Mariana is giving her daughter a home beyond geography. “Through our culture, I’m giving her a home she can carry with her, no matter where she goes.”

In teaching her daughter about their Portuguese roots, Mariana is not just preserving a tradition; she is nurturing a future filled with pride, resilience, and love. 

The history between mother and daughter is a living, breathing bond, one that stretches back through time and forwards into the generations to come.

Mariana says she has one dream for her and her daughter’s future; she says, “I want my daughter to grow up knowing she’s rooted in a culture full of resilience and love. 

“That no matter where life takes her, she carries a home inside her heart.” 
Her final wish is that this connection to heritage will give her daughter confidence, pride, and a deep sense of belonging to a legacy as enduring as the love between mother and child.

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