FELIZ NAVIDAD FROM MEXICO

Transcription

1 Name Date FELIZ NAVIDAD FROM MEXICO My name is Margarita. I live in a big house in a town near Mexico City, the capital of Mexico. I live with my parents and my brothers and sisters. Last night was one of the best nights of my life. Last night, December 16 th, we celebrated the first night of Las Posadas. Las Posadas is kind of like religious parade and a play mixed together. Las Posadas means the inns. The festival of La Posada tells the story of what happened before Christmas, when Joseph and Mary were looking for a place to stay for the night. The people from the neighborhood, especially the children, walk to houses in the neighborhood, different houses every night. We carry a statue of Los Peregrinos, the Pilgrims, St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary. The walk through the neighborhood is how we remember the story of Joseph and Mary looking for an inn before Jesus was born. We have a Posada every night for nine nights. Last night, I walked in the front of the Posada. It was my job to carry the farolito, the little lantern. Everyone in the Posada carries a candle, but the farolito in front is different, because it s inside a paper shade and it s in the front of the procession. We walked up to the first door and knocked, singing a song asking for shelter for Mary and Joseph. At the first house, they opened the door, but they sang to us that they had no room, and they closed the door. We knew that would happen. It happened at the second house, too. Then we came to my house. I knocked on the door. My father answered. My father is such a nice man all the time, but he didn t look at all nice last night. Go away! he yelled at us. I knew he was acting, but I still was shaking a little in my shoes. We could hear the people inside singing that they would not let us in. Meanwhile, we were outside singing that they should help us. Even though I knew it was a play, it felt so real, and I really sang with all my heart. Finally, he let us in to the warmth and light of the house.

2 Name Date FELIZ NAVIDAD FROM MEXICO, continued We all knelt around the nacimiento, the nativity scene, and prayed and sang villancicos, Christmas carols. Then we had a piñata, filled with oranges, nuts, and candy. It is the greatest feeling when the piñata bursts and all those wonderful things come down. After the piñata, we played some games and talked. I was so happy to have all the people in our house for this important day. We had spicy tamales, crunchy and sweet buñuelos, and other delicious foods that my mother had made (my sisters and I helped!). Then we took the Peregrinos again and walked slowly through town to the church for Mass. We will celebrate Las Posadas in a different house every night until December 24 th. December 24 th is Noche Buena, holy night. On December 24 th, we celebrate the birth of Jesus. I usually go with my family to the city to see how beautiful the zócalo, the main square, looks with all the beautiful Christmas lights sparkling. Plaza de la Constitución in Mexico City is surely the most beautiful square in all the world, and it is even more beautiful at Christmas. Then we go to Misa de Noche Buena, midnight Mass. The church is so full, with people inside singing and praying, and outside the fireworks and lights are celebrating, too. It feels like the whole world is awake and full of wonder. We come home and put the baby Jesus in his cradle in the nacimiento. Then we open one present each. In Mexico, people didn t traditionally open gifts on Christmas. We exchanged gifts on El Día de los Reyes, or the Day of Three Kings (Epiphany), which is January 6 th. It s only recently that people have started giving gifts on Christmas Day. In my family, my parents are traditionalists, but we kids are modern, so we compromised: One gift on Christmas, and the other gifts on Epiphany. After we open our one gift, we open our doors to the outside. It is another feast, with delicious food and wonderful sweet drinks like atole, and friends and family all close together. It seems like the celebration could go on all night, but I always fall asleep before the end. This year I plan to stay awake as long as all the grown-ups. Christmas is my favorite time of year, and I don t want to miss a minute of the fun. After Christmas, we have a few days of rest, and then we celebrate El Día de los Reyes. The three kings bring gifts to children, just as they brought gifts to baby Jesus. We put our shoes under the tree so that the kings will know where to put the gifts. It is a fun holiday, and of course I like getting presents and eating Rosca de Reyes, the king s cake. But I don t think it can possibly be more wonderful than La Posada this year, with the candlelight and the house full of all the people I love.

3 Name Date Answer the questions about MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MEXICO. Please write in complete sentences. 1. According to the story, what is La Posada? 2. Who let the people come inside, in this story of La Posada? 3. What are at least three traditions associated with La Posada? 4. Why was this La Posada so special for the narrator? 5. How many days does La Posada last? 6. What happens at the end of La Posada?

4 Name Date 7. What is special about the main square on December 24th? 8. How do the narrator and her family celebrate December 24th? 9. What is the next important holiday for the narrator? 10. What happens on the Day of the Kings?

5 Name Date FELIZ NAVIDAD FROM MEXICO Vocabulary Review Match the Spanish words to their English equivalents. ATOLE HOLY NIGHT BUÑUELOS NATIVITY EL DÍA DE LOS REYES CHRISTMAS EVE MASS FAROLITO KING S CAKE LA POSADAS CAROLS LOS PEREGRINOS EPIPHANY MISA DE NOCHE BUENA SWEET CAKES NACIMIENTO LITTLE LANTERN NOCHE BUENA THE INNS ROSCA DE REYES TOWN SQUARE VILLANCICOS THE PILGRIMS ZÓCALO A SWEET DRINK

6 Name Date Answers to MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM MEXICO Comprehension 1. According to the story, La Posada is a religious parade and play. 2. In this story of La Posada, the narrator s father let the parade come inside. 3. Answer should include any three of the following: the singing, carrying the Peregrinos, the faralito, the visiting of houses (and not being admitted), being let in at the last house, praying around the nacimiento, pinata, eating special foods, going to Mass. 4. This La Posada so special for the narrator because it ended at her house. 5. La Posada lasts for nine days. 6. La Posada ends with Christmas Eve, when people celebrate the birth of Jesus and go to Mass. 7. The main square on December 24th is beautifully decorated with many lights. 8. The narrator and her family go to town to see the lights. They go to Mass. They open one Christmas present each. They celebrate with family and close friends. 9. The next important holiday for the narrator is Epiphany. 10. On the Day of the Kings, the children put their shoes under the tree and get presents from the three kings. They eat king s cake. Matching ATOLE BUÑUELOS EL DÍA DE LOS REYES. FAROLITO LA POSADAS LOS PEREGRINOS MISA DE NOCHE BUENA NACIMIENTO NOCHE BUENA ROSCA DE REYES VILLANCICOS ZÓCALO A SWEET DRINK SWEET CAKES EPIPHANY LITTLE LIGHT THE INNS THE PILGRIMS CHRISTMAS EVE MASS NATIVITY HOLY NIGHT KING S CAKE CAROLS TOWN SQUARE