Hola Amigos! It has been a crazy week so I am only just getting chance to share my third language challenge with you all. Better late than never. This time I have gone all Español. This is all part of my Festive Clear the List goals for December. Read the full post for all the details.
I only spent two weeks learning Spanish earlier this year (Read my Baselang review to find out how) so it is nice to spend a little time learning some more about the language and culture. I am hoping to pick it back up in the future to get it to a higher level. But, for now let’s get started with some Spanish Christmas traditions…
Day 9 – Christmas Greetings
When it comes to Spanish phrases, my knowledge is extremely limited as the language I had learnt was mainly around practical words and phrases I could use to put together short conversations; rather than wishing people a merry Christmas. So, I have really enjoyed compiling this list and seeing which parts of the phrases I already understand.
¡Feliz Navidad! – Happy Christmas
¡Feliz Año Nuevo! – Happy New Year
Nochebuena – The name for the Christmas celebrations on Christmas Eve
que tengas un próspero año – I hope you have a prosperous new year
con mucho cariño, te deseo una Feliz Navidad – with all my love, I wish you a Happy Christmas)
Que en esta Navidad el mejor regalo que recibas sea estar junto a tus seres queridos compartiendo paz, esperanza y alegría. – I hope that this Christmas the best present you get is to be near your loved ones sharing peace, hope and joy.
I really enjoyed the challenge of the last one; a real tongue twister!
Day 10 – Christmas Dinner
The Christmas food I have decided to share is primarily from Spain rather than any other Spanish speaking regions. Let me know in the comments below if you know of any traditions from across the Spanish speaking world.
Like many other European Christian nations, Christmas Eve Mass is the defining factor in planning the Christmas festivities. The mass in Spain is called La Misa Del Gallo which translates as The Mass of the Rooster supposedly named because a rooster crowed the night that Jesus was born.
The traditional Spanish Christmas dinner, served before mass, is Pavo Trufado de Navidad which is turkey stuffed with truffles. As a lot of the country is coastal there are many regions that also have seafood and shellfish for dinner too. These main dishes are usually followed by a sweet called turrón (nougat made with sweetened almonds). Below is a great little recipe for this sweet treat.
Day 11 – Christmas Carols
I am very pleased to announce that Youtube continues to deliver on the Christmas Carols from around the world. I found this great playlist that consists of 26 different Spanish Carols and songs (many of which have lyrics) which you can use for getting into the festive spirit and improving your Spanish.
I have also pulled out my favourite Spanish Christmas song, Feliz Navidad, as it wouldn’t really be a Spanish Christmas without it. As I didn’t learn Spanish at school I only heard about this song a couple of years ago when I was listening to Radio 1. Scott Mills always plays a huge selection of Christmas songs and this came on. Ever since then I have been hooked and have to listen to it over the festive period. Now that I can speak a little Spanish I can give it my best attempt to sing along; I can only apologise to my fiancèe in advance. If you aren’t going to make a fool of yourself at Christmas then when can you?
This version has all the lyrics so join me in singing along!
Day 12 – Christmas Story
Doing all this research has helped me find a lot of different websites that are going to be invaluable in my language learning and the biggest surprise was the FluentU blog. I have used FluentU for a number of years but until now I never realised how helpful their blog was in finding good content to read, watch and listen. Do a quick search on their blog and see what they have to learn in the language you are learning.
Disclaimer – These comments aren’t sponsored or requested by FluentU. I just think it is super helpful and it might help you learning languages too.
They have compiled a list of 5 traditional Spanish Christmas stories for you to get stuck in to. The great thing about this is that they have graded the stories to different language levels so you can pick one that is suitable for you. I can barely manage the first two as a beginner but I always feel proud when I can read a story in new language.
So that is another Advent Challenge complete. Which traditions are your favourites so far? Let me know in the comments below. Half way there now. All downhill to Christmas!
Coming up next is all about French. I can’t wait!
Ciao for now!
