Había una vez, según dice el cuento

Un pavo de granja, que vivía del cuento

Siempre se burlaba, de un burro que había

Trabajando siempre, de noche y de día.

El burro lloraba, el pavo reía.       El burro lloraba, el pavo reía.

El burro lloraba, el pavo reía.       El burro lloraba, el pavo reía.

Fue en un mes de mayo,

que el pavo llegó a la granja.

Y desde ese día el burrito no tuvo calma

El pavo sentado, riendo y gozaba

Diciéndole al burro, ¡Trabaja, trabaja!

Pasaron los meses--junio, julio y agosto

Y el pobre animal, volviéndose loco.

Septiembre y octubre, y luego noviembre

Y sufriendo así, le llegó diciembre.

Y faltando un día, para una gran fiesta

Llevaron el burro, a comprar la cena

Y al volver el burro, el pavo miró

Que no trajo carne, y le preguntó.

¿Donde está la carne que yo no la veo.

¿Donde está la carne… Donde está la carne?

¿Donde está la carne, que yo no la veo.

¿Donde está la carne… Donde está la carne?

El pavo nervioso,  vuelve y preguntó

¿Donde está la carne?  No la veo yo.

Y el burro riendo, con todos los dientes

Le responde al pavo, !Llegó tu diciembre!

El pavo lloraba, el burro reía.     El pavo lloraba, el burro reía.

El pavo lloraba, el burro reía.     El pavo lloraba, el burro reía.

El pavo lloraba, el burro reía.     El pavo lloraba, el burro reía.

El pavo lloraba, el burro reía.     El pavo lloraba, el burro reía.

Our complete exchange rate tool can be found here

Home | Calendar | Events | Transportation | Maps | Hotel | Night Life & Dining | Sight Seeing | Pictures | Businesses | Artists | Food | Helps | History | Language | Music | News | Pastimes | Products | Traditions/Legends | Links | About Us-Contact | Sun-N-Moon Jewelry | Web Designers Info |

Home | Important Stuff | Traditions | You Are Here - Christmas page 1

Traditions | Songs | El Burro y El Pavo song and lyrics | Children | Decorations | Traditional Foods | Town  and Neighborhood Traditions

Since Christmas is such a grand and important holiday here in Dominican Republic it deserves a page all its own.It is such a large celebration that it starts in October and ends in January. With its exhilarating parties, spectacular fireworks, relaxing family time and fantastic food, there is just too much good information for a small section.

Christmas here lasts for about 3 months, more or less. It is a time to get together with friends and family and enjoy. Although here everyone seems to have a great time always, Christmas is even more of an delight. The airlines are booked solid with people returning to their roots to celebrate in the place they call home. There is such an excitement felt in the streets throughout the country. The passion culminates with the fireworks that seem to happen more often the closer the holiday gets.

Trying to do business during this time is not easy, peoples minds are not on accomplishing anything. All that seems to be on the mind is having fun and relishing the company of others.

Indulging ones self with all the traditional foods that one does not get throughout the year is much anticipated. The aromas of food whiffs out into the streets from kitchens where people are preparing their specialties. There are parties, both private and community gatherings everywhere. The festive spirit is in abundance. On the faces of people, the lights and decorations, the festive feelings, the fireworks and the food.

Fuegos artificiales/ Fireworks are a momentous tradition here in Dominican Republic. Children and adults love shooting off cohetes y petardos/ rockets and firecrackers of all types. Hospitals are especially busy mending burnt and mangled fingers of people that get a bit carried away with the fireworks. There are stands all over the country selling these festive and dangerous toys to light the sky or to make a big bang . In this way the season is celebrated with a bang!

Most businesses come to a close around  6 PM on Christmas Eve, some not opening at all on this day. This gives families time to get together for the big celebration of food and drink. In most tourist areas businesses are open, but I wouldn't count on it. It's best to have what you need before this day just to be on the safe side.

The main celebration happens on Noche Buena/ Christmas Eve (December 24th) This is when the big family dinners are held and people really get some substantial celebrating. Most people return to their home towns in order to enjoy the holiday with family and friends. Not to mention, most Dominicans love their mothers or aunts cooking so the must return home to enjoy the feast that is prepared. This family gathering is the center of the holiday festivity. December 25th is just a day to recuperate

As a traditional token of Christmas cheer, most employees receive an extra months pay in December, and so have a little extra cash on hand. This is called Double Sueldo, a Christmas bonus Dominican style. It is about the same as a months pay and helps to make Christmas holidays a more lighthearted time

The more religious people usually go to church for the Christmas Eve service. This service called La Misa del Gallo. It is a Midnight Mass traditional type service. There is also a mass on Christmas Day usually held at 12 noon for those who didn't make it to the Midnight mass or for those that like to go to both.  This way one can get a little rest in between.

If you are in Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic during the holidays try and make it to the service in the Cathedral Primada de America in Colonial Zone. This is service is one of the largest and most elaborate in the whole country. Make sure to get there very early or you will be observing from the outside, which is fine also.

A tradition for gift exchange is called Un Angelito/ A Little Angel. This is practiced by all the social classes. All the names of the participants are placed in a sack. Then a name is selected from the bunch. The person whose name you chose is your Angelito. Every week during the Christmas holiday you are to give that person, whose name you chose, a gift. The identity of your Angelito is to be kept secret until the last day of the gift exchange where you must divulge yourself.

Christmas carols in Spanish are known as villancicos.

Singing Christmas carols for the neighbors and inviting the singers in for a treat or a nice drink is a fun tradition here on the island. The drink is usually Jengibre, coffee, and for imbibers rum. The caroling venture usually wrap-ups with a good party that includes drinking, dancing and in general a good time for all

There are many Holiday songs here that are unique to Dominican Republic and the other Latin American countries.. Here, as in most of the Latin countries, many of the Christmas songs are accompanied by a merengue rhythm. This results in the Christmas carols being quite danceable, which all Dominicans delight in. Some notable songs in this style are Volvió Juanita by Milly Quezada, Salsa pa tu lechón by Johnny Ventura, La trulla navideña by del Conjunto Quisquella.

The traditional Christmas songs in English cannot be translated word for word to make any sense in Spanish.  Because of this many of the songs in Spanish can be totally dissimilar. Note also that in many cases the translations are far from literal because if they were translated word for word the rhythm and meaning of the song would be lost.

Here are some names of English Christmas songs with their counterparts in Spanish.

One of my favorite, simple Spanish carols is Cascabel. There are many different versions but the one I have here is my favorite version because it has the traditional Jingle Bells tune.

   Es Noel, es Noel    Suena el cascabel      De un venado muy veloz    Que tiene Santa Claus    Corre ya, juega ya

For the complete lyrics and more Christmas songs along with their translations go to:

Spanish About.com,  Villancicos de Navidad a las Arandelas, and Silvita Blanco - Villacicos de Navidad

El Pavo Y El Burro is a traditional children's song Merengue style. It is the story of a turkey that lies around all year getting fat, making fun of the hard-working burro. Then Christmas comes. The turkey will be stuck like a pig. As the chorus says interpreted roughly " To all fat pigs Christmas Eve will arrive"

Listen to Bonny Cepeda

We have some basic Spanish Christmas words for your learning pleasure. After you learn the words practice with our Christmas Words Crossword Puzzle.