by Olly RichardsWhen you learn Spanish, you get curious about hispanic culture too, right? Well, now that Christmas season here, it's the perfect time to find out about Spanish Christmas traditions around the world.
In fact, if you can speak to Spanish people or Mexicans or Peruvians about festive traditions in their countries, you'll find it easier to connect with them.
That's why, in this post, you'll discover some of the most popular Christmas traditions in Spanish-speaking countries all over the world. And how they differ from what you're familiar with at home.
Spanish-speaking countries have a lot of specific Christmas traditions, especially when it comes to gift-giving, Christmas food and decorations.
How many of these look similar to Christmas where you live?
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1. Christmas Carols And Songs In Spanish
Music and singing are important parts of celebrating Christmas in Spanish-speaking countries around the world.
Some popular songs are Spanish versions of favourite Christmas songs (villancicos navideños) from around the world:
- Noche de Paz (Silent Night)
- Blanca Navidad (White Christmas)
- and Cascabel (Jingle Bells) all have Spanish-language translations.
Other villancicos navideños specific to Spanish include:
- Mi Burrito Sabanero, also called El Burrito de Belén is a traditional song about a donkey's journey to Bethlehem. One of the most famous covers of the song was by the Spanish artist Juanes
- Los Peces en el Río is a catchy carol about fish in the river getting ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus as the Virgin Mary goes through her daily chores
- Vamos, Pastores, Vamos tells the story of shepherds hurrying to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus
- Ya Vienen los Reyes is a carol all about the arrival of the Three Wise Men bearing gifts for Christ child
If you want to try signing along to some of these villancicos, hit play on the video below:
If you noticed that all four songs have a religious theme, you're right!
Most Spanish-language Christmas traditions are closely tied to the religious significance of the holiday since Roman Catholicism is the most common religion in Spain and Latin America.
Although Papá Noel (Father Christmas) is a part of Christmas celebrations around the Spanish-speaking world, he's much less prevalent than in English-speaking countries. In fact, children believe that the baby Jesus or the Three Wise Men bring most gifts, not Santa Claus
2. Spanish Christmas Traditions: Food
Food is a big part of any Christmas celebration around the Spanish-speaking world. No surprises there right? That said, each country has a slightly different menu.
Christmas Foods Common Across Spanish-Speaking Countries
- Lenchón (roast pig) is a popular dish to serve at Christmas time in Spain, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and all over Latin America.
- Buñelos (fried dough balls) are holiday favourites in many countries, though the style varies slightly from country to country. Most buñelos are seasoned with anise, though even that depends on the style. In Mexico, buñuelos are served with syrup and dusted with sugar, while in Columbia, they're made of white cheese. In Uruguay, they're made with fruit, usually bananas and apples.
- Roscón de Reyes (king cake) is a round cake studded with fruit. When assembled, it resembles a crown full of jewels. Roscón de Reyes is a big part of the Día de los Reyes, which you'll discover more about soon.
Christmas Food In Spain
Spain has a few distinct culinary traditions that are closer to Portuguese and French foods (its closest neighbours).
- Turrón (an almond nougat)
- sopa de galets (a traditional Christmas soup in Catalan)
- and polvorónes (an almond cookie dusted in sugar) are all part of Christmas in Spain.
South American Christmas Food
- Pan dulce (a sweet cake studded with fruit) is part of many Christmas spreads across South America. Most likely thanks to Italian immigrants to Argentina and Brazil around the turn of the century. In Peru, it's made with candied papaya instead of other more traditional fruits. Chile's pan dulce is called Pan de Pascua. In Chile, Pascua can mean Easter, Passover, and Christmas…all depending on the context.
- Natilla (white custard) is another common sight at Christmas time, although it's available all year in many Latin American supermarkets. In Colombia, natilla is made without eggs and topped with cinnamon. While you can buy it pre-made, the tradition is to make it together as a family over a small fire in the street or on your patio.
If you enjoyed that culinary tour of the Spanish-speaking world, then check out the linguistic version – it's a journey through the different Spanish dialects across the world.
And for a tour of Christmas vocabulary in Spanish-speaking countries, hit play on the video below. You'll learn food vocabulary as well as words for talking about decorations, songs are more:
3. Christmas Decorations In Latin America And Spain
Although you may see Christmas trees in December in the Spanish-speaking world, they're not as common as in other countries. And they're not always pine trees at all.
In fact, because Christmas falls during the middle of summer in South America, many Christmas decorations are less wintry than what you may be used to at home.
As the world gets more connected over time, however, conifer Christmas trees covered in (fake) snow are more common than ever before in Latin America and Spain.
Lights—including fireworks—are also a big part of Christmas around the Spanish-speaking world. In this collection of photos from all over Latin America, you can see many different light displays from Argentina, Cuba, Nicaragua, and more.
Large, elaborate nativity scenes, known as nacimientos, are an essential part of any traditional Christmas celebration in Latin America.
it's common to see nacimientos with a whole menagerie of animals, entire cities built around the Holy Family, rivers full of fish surrounding the nacimiento (referencing the song Los Peces en el Río), or even nacimientos staffed by live actors.
In Mexico, the baby Jesus is not traditionally added to the nacimientos until Christmas Eve.
Perhaps the most significant difference between Christmas celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries and those that speak English has to do with when gifts are given.
To explain it best, I've included a timeline of a typical Christmas season in Spain and Latin America.
4. A December Of Parades And Parties In Spanish-Speaking Countries
December 7: El Día De Las Velitas
Christmas season officially begins in Colombia with this holiday, which celebrates the Immaculate Conception. Families place candles and paper lanterns all over their homes and patios to fill their cities and streets with light.
A similar celebration takes place in Nicaragua, although there they call it La Gritería. After an afternoon and early evening of celebration and fireworks, children visit altars to the Virgin Mary around town and sing carols in exchange for sweets.
December 16-24: Las Posadas
In Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, and other parts of Latin America (including among some Hispanics living in the United States), December 16-24 is a nine-day celebration representing the nine months of Mary's pregnancy.
Each night during Las Posadas starts with a caminata, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph's search for lodging. Participants form in a procession singing and playing music behind those playing the part of Mary and Joseph (sometimes complete with an actual donkey!).
The procession travels to three separate doors either in a single house or through the neighbourhood. From behind the first and second doors, other participants sing songs but don't open the door. At the third door, the group behind the door opens the door and lets the procession in.
After the caminata is complete, everyone celebrates with dinner, drinks, sweets, and a star-shaped piñata for the children.
December 24: Noche Buena (Christmas Eve)
Christmas Eve celebrations begin with Midnight Mass, known as either La Misa del Gallo or Misas de Aguinaldo, depending on where you are. In Venezuela, it's traditional for people to roller skate to mass for the weeks leading up to Christmas!
For more on what a tropical Christmas in Venezuela is like, check out the video below:
After mass, people walk through the streets, playing instruments and singing. Many cities have elaborate fireworks displays that night as well. In Argentina, it's traditional to release globos (paper lanterns) on Noche Buena.
Interested in travelling to Argentina to experience Noche Buena? Then you'll need to take a look at this short introduction to Argentinian Spanish for your trip!
December 25: Navidad (Christmas Day)
Christmas day is generally a quiet affair. Families spend it together, recovering from the late night before.
December 28: Los Santos Inocentes
Similar to April Fool's Day in the United States, Los Santos Inocentes is a day of practical jokes and games. Some smaller towns in Spain have festivals on this day as well.
5. January 6th: Día De Los Reyes (Three Kings Day)
Celebrated on the 12th night of Christmas, Día de los Reyes is one of the most important parts of Christmas traditions in Spanish-speaking countries.
On this day:
- People add figurines of the Three Wise Men to nacimientos
- Families celebrate with a Rosca de Reyes (wreath of kings), an oval cake with a baby baked inside, which symbolises when baby Jesus was hidden from king Herod. If you're lucky enough to find the baby, you get a crown and will have good luck for the next year. Whoever finds a bean instead of the baby Jesus pays for the cake!
- Celebrations actually begin the day before with parades celebrating the arrival of the Reyes Magos. And children leave letters for the Wise Men in their shoes. They also leave grass and water for the camels. In Puerto Rico, Paraguay, and the Dominican Republic, they put the grass or hay in boxes under children's beds.
- In the morning, children find gifts in their shoes (or boxes under their beds). Actually, most people in Spain and Latin America give presents on Día de los Reyes instead of Christmas day.
Extra Traditions In Mexico City And Lima
- In Mexico City, families go to the Alameda (a park in the city) for a festival on January 5. They fill balloons with wishes to fly to the sky, eat food, and have their picture taken with life-size versions of the Three Wise Men.
- The Peruvian capital, Lima is known as the Ciudad de los Reyes, supposedly because Francisco Pizarro found Lima on January 6th. While gifts are given, the feasts and parties centre more around Bajada de Reyes, when nativity scenes in homes and around the country are taken down and packed away for the following year.
In most Spanish-speaking countries, January 6 marks the end of the Christmas season.
By the way, if this post has inspired you to head to Mexico to celebrate the end of Christmas, then you'll want to have a look at this list of 29 Mexican slang words and phrases to make the most of your trip.
Christmas Traditions In Spanish-Speaking Countries
If reading all that has you wishing you could spend Christmas abroad this year, you're not alone.
The good news is that you can use this time of year as an excuse to dive more deeply into your Spanish studies with a few extra celebrations…all in the name of language learning!
Plus, of course, you can better connect with your Spanish-speaking family, friends or colleagues when you know what they're doing for Christmas.
You'll know that they'll be much busier on January 6th, rather than December 25th. And you can pop round for a slice of King Cake to celebrate with them.
