Beth Worthy
12/16/2013
Learning Spanish can take some time because the grammar is different from English. A helpful introduction to Spanish is to learn greetings beyond "hola, como estas," which means "hello, how are you?" Christmas greetings can be learned quickly through the following fun activities.
Feliz Navidad
The song "Feliz Navidad" is a fun holiday melody masterpiece sung partly in English and partly in Spanish. The title in the chorus means Happy Christmas which can also be translated into "Merry Christmas." Another phrase in the song is "Prospero año y felicidad," which means happy New Year. The song has been covered by many popular artists and was originally made popular by Jose Feliciano.
Learning Christmas Words
Designing Christmas cards using one or two-wor messages in Spanish can help you learn quickly using an online English-Spanish dictionary. The word "holiday" in Spanish is "fiesta," which is a word that is used throughout the year for various occasions. "Hope" translates into "esperanza" while "joy" becomes "alegria" and "celebration" becomes "celebración." The name "Santa Claus" in Spanish is called "Papá Noel."
Writing Cards and Poems
One way to learn the language while expressing your holiday sentiments to friends is to create a poem in Spanish. It will help you learn the different ways to say Christmas greetings such as "Christmas wishes," which in Spanish is "Deseos de la Feliz Navidad." The greeting "Happy Holidays" translates into "Felices fiestas." The phrase "peace on earth" in Spanish is "la paz para todo el mundo." Using both English and Spanish in a poem is acceptable especially if the recipient understands both languages.
Spanish Culture
It's important to remember that Spanish-speaking people celebrate Christmas differently than people in the United States. In many of these Hispanic cultures, the Christmas season begins on December 16 and lasts until January 6. During this period people sing songs and celebrate the holiday season with food and drinks. On the night before Christmas, they attend "Misa de Gallo," which means "The Mass of the Rooster." Instead of sharing gifts on Christmas day, people spend time reuniting with family and friends.
Read Also: Simple Christmas Crafts You Can Make at the Last Minute
