Here I share two wonderful resources for Spanish teachers about Christmas traditions in Spain. I believe that these materials can be useful to enrich your Spanish class.
“Christmas in Spain shares traditions with other countries where the Catholic religion is also practiced. As in many parts of the world, families gather to celebrate. The decorations and some other aspects of the holiday season celebration are similar in Europe and America: the food, drinks, music, dancing and giving gifts. But Christmas in Spain is also unique, with traditions that reflect the true character of Spain.” -Adapted translation from the PDF intro
1. La Navidad en España PDF
The first is an 11-page PDF that explains the following key dates of the Christmas season in Spain:
1. Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)
2. Navidad (Christmas Day)
3. Día de los Santos Inocentes (Innocents’ Day, similar to the American April Fools’ Day)
4. Nochevieja (New Years Eve) – Includes a Spanish song activity with Un año más by Mecano
5. Christmas Lottery
6. Three Kings Day
The document also includes a section on Christmas decorations that explains the Nativity scene.
If you have trouble viewing the PDF, you can click here to open and print.
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2. La Navidad en España Presentation
The second resource is a presentation that goes very well as a companion of the PDF I shared above. The presentation is 51 slides long and includes a lot of images.
Check out our list of Spanish Class Activities.