1Me llamo: __________________________________________

__________________________________________ ___

Fecha:
VAMONOS
Match each word in Spanish with the definition: SER means TO BE:
Me llamo Her name is Yo soy means _______________.
Te llamas My name is Tú eres means ______________.
Se llama Their name is Nosotros somos means
______________.
Se llaman Your name is Ellos son means ______________.

¿Cómo se llama su madre? ____________________________

¿De donde es su padre? ______________________________
¿Como se llama su abuela? ____________________________

LOS PUNTOS CLAVES

1. Describe how people in Spanish-speaking countries _______________________
Christmas.
2. _____________________ Christmas celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries and
your own family.
3. Read _____________________________________________________________, a story often
told for Christmas in Spanish-speaking countries.

PUNTO CLAVE UNO: Christmas Celebrations in Spanish-speaking Countries

3 Traditions:
1. ______________________________________ 2.
_________________________________________________________
3. _______________________________________________________________
1. Las Posadas: In Mexico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, people begin
celebrating Christmas 9 days ahead of time with Las Posadas.
Las Posadas means: ____________________________________.

A group of people, usually kids, will dress up as Mary, and Joseph, and other characters
from the Nativity. They will knock on each house, asking for refuge, and each house will
say no. When they reach the last house, the innkeepers let the pilgrims in, and everyone
has a party.
Usually this party has a piñata for kids, and refreshments and food for everyone.

The following night, everyone will begin the procession at this house, and continue until
they reach another house that “lets them in.”

2. Día de los Reyes means __________________________________________________.

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This day, on January 6, is when kids usually receive their presents. Also on this day,
Mexicans bake a sweet bread called pan dulce. Hidden in this bread will be a small
figurine of Baby Jesus. The person who receives him gets to act as his godparent at the
Nativity scene.
3. Día de la Candeleria means _____________________________________________.
On this day, the godparent throws a party as everyone puts away the Nativity scene.
People eat a dinner of tamales and celebrate the end of the Holiday season.
PUNTO CLAVE DOS: Comparing Christmas traditions
How do Christmas Celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries compare
with the way YOUR family celebrates the Holidays?
Traditions of
Your family Spanish-
traditions speaking
 countries


Create a Postcard:
Imagine you are a tourist in a Spanish-speaking country. You can pick any

Dear ____________________,
________________________________________
_
________________________________________
_
________________________________________
_
________________________________________
_
________________________________________
_
________________________________________
_
________________________________________
_
2
________________________________________
_
 Spanish-speaking country you like! Draw a picture representing one of their
Christmas traditions, and write a short paragraph to someone back home
describing the celebrations.
 Include: How they celebrate Christmas (What traditions they have?) , and how
they compare to your celebrations at home.

PUNTO CLAVE TRES: La Flor de la Nochebuena

A Legend is a fictional story that “explains” an event from the past. It often includes an
element of the supernatural. The Legend of the Poinsettia is a Christmas story often
told in Spanish-speaking countries.
"Juanita was a little girl who lived in the small village of San Pancho, Mexico
hundreds of years ago. Juanita's family were farmers and they were very poor.
As Christmas approached Juanita's mama and papa became sick and Juanita
had to help care for her little brother and sister. There was much work to be
done and young Juanita did her best to cook and clean and help with the burro in the
fields. All the people of the village were decorating the church and making special gifts
to give to the Christ Child on Christmas Eve.
Everyone would take part in the Christmas Eve procession, singing and carrying candles.
Then Padre Gonalez would place the figure of the Baby Jesus in the manger and the
villagers would put their special gifts around the manger. Juanita had tried to weave a
colorful blanket for the Christ Child, but she was to little and the yarns became tangled.
She tried to sew little leather boots for her gift, but the leather was too tough and she
was not strong enough to push the needle through. She tried to think of something very
special that her family could give to the Baby Jesus, but with mama and papa sick and
her younger brother and sister too small to help, she could think of nothing. At last it was
Christmas Eve. The entire village was ready to form the procession, the candles were lit,
the singing began as the villagers walked through San Pancho carrying their gifts to
place at the manger.
Question 1: The villagers are walking in the procession of La Posada. What did
Juanita want to bring? Why couldn’t she?

Juanita hid in the darkness, watching with tears in her eyes as the procession went to the
church.
Suddenly an old man stepped from the shadows nearby. "Little girl, are you Juanita?" He
said. "Si," answered Juanita, wondering who he could be. "I have a message for you. Your
mama and papa are going to get well soon. So do not worry. Go to the church and
celebrate Christmas with the other villagers. Your brother and sister are waiting for you."
"I can't," Juanita told him. "I don't have a gift for the Baby Jesus. I tried and tried to make
something but I couldn't finish it."
"Ah, Juanita, don't you know that any gift is beautiful because
it is given. Whatever you give, the Baby Jesus will love,
because it comes from you." "But what can I give?" And
Juanita began looking around. She saw a big patch of green
weeds nearby. Juanita rushed over and picked a huge armful.
Then turned to the old man. But he was gone. Juanita walked
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into the church. All of the candles were blazing, the children were singing as she walked
down the aisle with her bundle of green weeds. "What is Juanita carrying?" the villagers
whispered.
"She's bringing weeds into the church!" Juanita placed the green weeds all around the
manger. Then she bowed her head and prayed. A hush fell over the church. Voices
whispered, "Look!, Look at the weeds!" Juanita opened her eyes. Each weed was topped
with a flaming red star. And when everyone went outside after the Mass, all the bunches
of tall green weeds throughout the town were shining with red stars. Juanita's simple gift
had become beautiful.

Question 2: What happened to Juanita’s gift? What is the moral of the story?
CREATE A COMIC STRIP:
Draw 3 illustrations of what happens to Juanita in the Legend of the Poinsettia. For
each picture, write a caption explaining your drawing.
1. 2. 3.

Caption: Caption: Caption:

PAPELES PICADOS:
Often to celebrate on Christmas, and other Holidays (like Day of the Dead), people
in Mexico create papel picado.
To celebrate, we are going to make our own Papel Picado!