¡Felices fiestas!
Seasonal celebrations & traditions around the Spanish speaking world
However you celebrate at this time of year or whatever your beliefs, it’s worth taking time to explore seasonal traditions as part of our aventuras into the Spanish language and its cultures!
Seasonal celebrations vary enormously from place to place, for a wide range of reasons, including climate adaptations, indigenous influences, to centuries old traditions brought by the Spaniards.
In the words of the Indigenous, Canadian-American singer and social activist Buffy Sainte-Marie, “language is a tool that is used to explore and experience our cultures and perspectives that are embedded in our cultures”. Language and culture cannot be seperated!
Check out these diverse seasonal celebraciones, plus activities & books for the season!
Lighting candles in Colombia - many Colombians celebrate el día de las velitas (day of the little candles) on December 7, the eve of the religious National Holiday, ‘The immaculate Conception’. People light candles and lanterns all over their community.
Las posadas and its regional variations - many countries celebrate a 9 day festival between 12/16-12/24 where neighbors parade to the homes of friends and family, seeking “shelter”, as Mary and Joseph did in the Christmas story.
In Mexico and Central America, las posadas might feature candles, carols and poinsettas and culminate in a fiesta at the last home, where warm champurrado or atole might be served, alongside tamales. Sometimes kids enjoy a candy-filled piñata.
Here’s a glimpse of las posadas in Oaxaca, México.
In Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo and Venezuela, a similiar tradition called la trulla, el asalto or la parranda is a late-night musical serenade, where the visitors will shout “asalto” or “parranda” to wake the sleeping house! Most parranderos traditionally play guitarras, tamboriles, güiro maracas, or palitos, and everyone sings. They may get drinks and snacks in return, and the last home throws the fiesta.
In some South American communities it’s called la novena, a word derived from the latin word, nine.
In US/Mexican border towns, a special adaptation is la posada sin fronteras , a gathering of people in Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, CA who live along the border. They sing carols and share stories, both of migrants living in the USA and of those who have tried to cross over. I highly recommend exploring this by reading the beautiful children’s book Between Us & Abuela: A Family Story from the Border.
La Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)…Many Spanish speaking countries embrace a large cena (evening meal) filled with local traditional foods, ranging from los tamales (or a regional variation) to el pavo (turkey).
Skating to mass in Venezuela: las patinetas - skating, scooting or biking to la misa on Christmas Eve originated as an alternative to sledding or ice-skating, given the warm December climate in the Southern Hemisphere!
Who brings gifts? Santa? The Three Kings? A pooping log?! All the above!
Many homes, particularly in Latin American countries, exchange and open gifts on 12/24, la Nochebuena.
In Spain, families typically wait until the arrival of the ‘3 Kings’ or El día de los Reyes Magos on January 6th!
Some humor from Catalunya (NE Spain)…kids lovingly feed a log called el tio nadal every night, and on Christmas Eve, after singing and hitting him with a stick…he ‘poops’ out gifts! Check it out!
Read a book that explains el día de los Reyes Magos.
Make una corona (a crown) or bake a rosca de reyes (king’s bread) on January 6th, El día de los Reyes Magos.
La víspera del Año Nuevo (New Year’s Eve)…las 12 uvas (12 grapes) Here’s a fun Hispanic tradition: eating one grape for each stroke of midnight, for luck in the forthcoming year!
At home activities and books
Try delicious Hispanic postres or dulces to try over the holidays!
doughnut-like los bunuelos (Mexico)
sticky, nougat with nuts called el turrón (Spain)
a lighter take on fruit cake, called el panetón or el pan dulce
Make your own piñata!
Holiday books & songs…
‘Twas Nochebuena: A Christmas story in English and Spanish
Too many tamales (Mexico)
A piñata in a pine tree (Mexico)
The night of Las Posadas (Mexico)
La nochebuena: A Christmas Story (Miami, Cuba)
Between Us & Abuela: A Family Story from the Border (USA/Mexico)
Or choose from this comprehensive list from Spanish Mama
A traditional carol - Mi burrito sabanero
A word on the context of la Navidad in Spain and Latin America
With an overwhelming amount of the people in Spain and Latin America identifying as Catholics or Protestants (almost 88%, according to Pew Research), Christmas (la Navidad) remains one of the biggest celebrations of the year around much of the Spanish speaking world.
This article, entitled ‘un mismo idioma, navidades distintas’ (‘one language, different Christmases’) sums this diversity up beautifully in words and pictures.
However you celebrate, wherever you are….may you enjoy the fun, family time and rest that comes with holiday celebrations! Keep adventuring!
I wish you a happy new year. See you in 2022!
Les deseo un feliz año nuevo. ¡Nos vemos en 2022!