La Navidad

Spain: First, go to the following website: http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/spain.shtml and asnwer the following questions: 

1. What is Christmas midnight mass called?
2. What is Christmas dinner called?
3. What is a common saying people say after the midnight mass?
4. What is Dec. 28th?
5. What US holiday is similar to the holiday celebrated on the 28th?
6. When do children open most of their presents?
7. What do children do on Jan 5th (epiphany eve)?
8. What do students leave instead of milk and cookies?
9. Who leaves presents (hint: it’s not santa)?
10. What are the names of the three kings?
11. In Catalonia (a region in Spain), what is “Caga tio”?
12. What do the Spanish call nativity scenes?
13. What is a Roscón?

Mexico: Then go to: http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/mexico.shtml and asnwer these questions: 

1. When is Christmas celebrated?
2. What is a posada and how many are there?
3. What do families do on Christmas Eve?
4. What is a common game that is played at posadas?
5. How many spikes are around it? And what do they stand for?
6. What are nativity scenes called in Mexico?
7. What is Christmas eve called in Spanish?
8. What is celebrated on Dec. 28?
9. Do people in Mexico celebrate on Dec. 24 (Christmas) or Jan. 6 (Epiphany)?
10. What is the Rosca de Reyes?
11. What is the Candelaria?
12. How big was the largest ever angel ornament?

Puerto Rico: Next, watch he following youtube video (turn the sound off if you don't have headphones): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aF4yrh-c44I  and answer the following questions:

1. What is a Parranda?
2. What are aguinaldos?
3. Are the songs secular or religious?
4. What instruments are usually played?
5. What time of day are parrandas usually done?
6. What are parranderos?
7. Do the parranderos leave or go inside for music/dance/food?
8. After a few hours, where do the parranderos go?
9. What is served at 3 or 4am?
10. 

Finally, In a three circle Venn Diagram, compare the Christmas traditions of Spain, Mexico, and the USA. 

For more informational fun:

•Watch the following videos - in Spanish.  They are super videos with a ton of information on all three holidays.  You might need to rewind a few times.  She is speaking Spanish, but there are English subtitles at the bottom and a running vocabulary on the left hand side of the screen. Count how many of the traditions you studied appear in the video.  If you have headphones, you can plug them in to listen, otherwise, you will need to turn the sound off and read the subtitles.      Christmas Day        New Year's Eve      Epiphany•Try these two games about La Navidad on Quia:

         battleship       concentration  

Other Resources:

http://www.spain.info/en_US/reportajes/navidades_en_espana_tradicion_y_diversion.html

http://www.thehistoryofchristmas.com/traditions/spain.htm

http://spanish.about.com/od/spanishchristmascarols/

http://spanishfood.about.com/od/holidaysfeasts/a/menunavidad.htm

http://gospain.about.com/od/christmasinspain/qt/christmasfood.htm