Pick a Winter Celebration and learn about it
It's a busy time of year so I'll be brief. There are SO MANY holidays in December from the Spanish-speaking world. I can't possibly discuss them all, but I love learning about all of them! Here is a list (not-exhaustive) of some winter holidays celebrated in the Spanish-speaking world:
8 días al final de noviembre o diciembre- Jánuca
el 12 de diciembre: El Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe
el 16-24 de diciembre: Las Posadas
el 22 de diciembre: El Gordo (La Lotería de Navidad) en España
el 24 de diciembre: La Nochebuena
el 25 de diciembre: La Navidad
el 28 de diciembre: El día de Los Inocentes
el 31 de diciembre: La Nochevieja
el 1 de enero: El Año Nuevo
el 6 de enero: Epifanía
Here are 3 easy ways to research these celebrations on your own AND acquire the Spanish language:
1. Find a children's book about the celebration. It doesn't matter if it's in English or Spanish. Children's books will have beautiful illustrations as well as vocabulary integral to the celebration available in it. You can find books either online or even better, at your local library! The pictures in the book will help you understand any new vocabulary you encounter.
2. As you read through the children's book, think about the following questions:
- Where is this tradition celebrated?
- What do they eat during this celebration?
- Who do people celebrate with?
- Are there fireworks?
If you can't find all the answers to these questions in the book, look online! Look up the author as well. Where is the author from? Research the country of the author and how that specific country celebrates the tradition.
3. Find a song related to the celebration. What do people sing during this celebration? Once you find a song related to your chosen celebration, listen to it and read the lyrics! Write down new words and phrases in your glossary (see this post about why you should have a glossary) and review them each week.
And that's it! Researching in this way will increase your cultural awareness, reading comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and listening practice! ¡Disfruta las fiestas amigues!
Interested in more tips or acquiring Spanish? Check out Kinda Bilingual's online, immersive, Spanish classes or give us a follow on Instagram (@kinda.bilingual)!