Tag Archives: navidad

Christmas Food

The Foods of Christmas

are just as important as the holiday itself. Without the special traditional dishes, lovingly prepared, Navidad just would not be the same.

Christmas | Songs | Decorations | Traditional Foods | Town and Neighborhood Traditions | Children – Three Kings Day | El Burrito de Belén song and lyrics | Christmas Words | Picture Collection – Christmas in Colonial Zone and Dominican Republic

Asopao and Sancocho

is always one of the holiday favorites. They are easy to prepare and easy to serve. Since there are always guests in the house or people visiting one can always find some soup/ asopao or sancocho (recipe for sancocho) cooking and ready for serving during the entire holiday season.

Nochebuena/ Christmas Eve

is a big celebration and a very large and substantial dinner is served with food, food and more food. Food and family. Food and friends. Food and neighbors. Usually, there is lots of drinking as well. Everyone is stuffed to the brim and still desires more. Christmas Day is for left overs and recuperation.

The start of dinner for Noche Buena

Traditional foods

prepared painstakingly by the ladies, sometimes men help a little, are so incredible. The aromas, along with the ambiance, throughout the house are wondrous.

The Roast Pork/ Puerco Asado

and Roast Chicken/ Pollo Asado is very important. The Pork is my favorite. I love the crispy skin.

Potato Salad or Russian Salad/ Ensalada Rusa

is splendid. It has cooked potatoes, peas, carrots, egg and a little mayonnaise. This recipe is usually a family secret.

Green Salad/ Ensalada Verde

which always seemed more of a red to me because of all the tomatoes.

Pasteles en Hoja

Pasteles en hojas

are everyone’s all-time favorites. Not easy to make but worth the time and effort (My Dominican family, as do many other families, cheats and buys them pre made). Closely resembling a tamale they are wrapped in a banana leaf and tied with string to make a nice little torpedo shaped package. Inside this green wrapping is a yellow roll filled with res/ beef, cerdo/ pork, pollo/ chicken, pescado/ fish, bacalao/ cod fish, queso/ cheeze, vegetales/ vegatables or a mixture of a few of these. Served steaming hot one could add a little kechu/ ketchup, salsa picante/ hot sauce, mayonnaise/ mayonesa or eaten plain. Any filling or any condiment topping them for me is wonderful. They originated in San Cristóbal when doña Isabel Coiscou created the recipe and started distributing the tasty food throughout the island.

Pan Telera

is a Long, Crusty bread. This bread is what we wait for. It has such a great flavor we always buy more than we need. It also makes a great crust for pizza toppings.

Sweets, Cookies and Cake/ Dulces, Galletitas y Biscochos.

These are a given as gifts and served to guests as well. There are so many varieties to chose from, including the Christmas Pudding/ Pudim Navideno.

Fruits and nuts

are abundant before and after dinner for munching. In the past Apples/ Manzanas, Grapes/ uvas, Pears/ peras were considered very special as they were not readily available like they are today. My friend told me that when she was young and received an apple it was a very special treat usually reserved for the Christmas season. Some of the nuts that are Christmas traditions are Hazelnuts/ coquitos, Pan de Fruta (served nice and hot), Almonds/ almendras and Walnuts/ nueces. These are many times brought from the USA as a present/ regala from visiting family. We always tell family and friends coming for holiday to make sure they bring us nuts.

Traditional drinks

, of course, include red wine with dinner and rum. There is also Eggnog/ Ponche de huevos, sometimes with some rum added for good measure. The after dinner drink, Anis del Mono/ Monkey Anise, is one of my most favorite. It is an anise drink that that many people make in the home for the best flavor. The Aunts/ Tias of a friend of mine makes the best I ever tasted.

Té de Jengibre – Ginger Tea

Jengibre

is a drink made with ginger root. It is non-alcoholic and ordinarily only drunk during the colder months in Dominican Republic. It is a very warming beverage and is many times drunk for the flu as well. It is made by boiling ginger root and cinnamon. To this is added heaps of sugar to make a tea. It is quite delicious.(recipe for té de jengibre)

After dinner

when everyone has stuffed themselves to the brim it is time to relax. We pull up the chairs and sit on the porch. Talking to the people in the street passing by. Everyone is so festive.

The ladies go to the neighbors that can’t get out or cook for themselves and take plates of food. We drink some rum or some beer and enjoy. It’s fun to make the rounds and stop and visit some close friends. But always end up back home to hang out with the family. Even for me, I have no blood family in the Dominican Republic, my adopted Dominican family has made me feel like one of them. I am right at home and they accept me during all holidays and special occasions.

Continue…Christms Town Traditions.

Christmas Decorations

Decorations Used for Christmas

Christmas trees and decorations used in Dominican Republic can go from simple to very elaborate. Many of the decorations are white in color. I presume this is to give the illusion of snow. Since the country is green year round, what would be so festive about having a tree this color? So, since there is no snow, it is a nice alternative for those looking for a white Christmas.

Christmas | Songs | Decorations | Traditional Foods | Town and Neighborhood Traditions | Children – Three Kings Day | El Burrito de Belén song and lyrics | Christmas Words | Picture Collection – Christmas in Colonial Zone and Dominican Republic

A Christmas Tree on Calle el Conde
A Christmas Tree on Calle el Conde

Charamicos

A Dominican tradition is the lighting and decorating of the Charamicos (which in Dominican slang is a dry tree branch). These items are Dominican folk art and can be found in abundance around the country during the Christmas season.

One can see Charamicos being made and sold on many of the street corners and in open places along the roads. These decorations are fashioned from straw, tree branches and pliable wood. They are made in the form of angels, cows, deer, some giraffe looking animals, pots, and wreaths. The nicer ones are painted in white and adorned with balls, ribbons and lights. In Santo Domingo, a good place to see and purchase these decorations is along Churchill Avenue between Ave. 27 de Febrero and Kennedy Ave. They have every variety and type of Charamicos one might fancy. If you want something special tell the men and maybe they can whip you up what is your heart’s desire.

An animal shaped Charamico at Brilliante Navidad
An animal shaped Charamico at Brilliante Navidad.

Nacimiento – Creche – Nativity Scene

One of the most popular decoration is the traditional Nacimiento/ Nativity Scene. It is refreshing to see Nativity scenes displayed openly throughout the entire country. You can see the nativity displays in front of stores and Government buildings.

The Christmas display in front of the Palacio Nacional / National Palace (home of the Dominican Government) includes a Nativity scene
The Christmas display in front of the Palacio Nacional / National Palace (home of the Dominican Government) includes a Nativity scene.


A very special decoration for Navidad is the Creche with the traditional Dominican Muñecas Limé (information and history of the Limé Doll). Muñecas Limé can come in all shapes and sizes some are made of wood, white ceramic or just plain clay.

A Creche made from the traditional faceless dolls in the oldest Cathedral in the Americas, The Cathedral of Santo Domingo
A Creche made from the traditional faceless dolls in the oldest Cathedral in the Americas, The Cathedral of Santo Domingo.

Flor de Pascua – Poinsettia

A favorite adornment is the Flor de Pascua or Poinsettia. This traditional flower is also known as its Christmas name Estrella de Navidad translated the Star of the Birth of Christ. This flower is known and loved the world over. The difference in Dominican Republic is that the flower grows outside and can get very large.

Last but not least are lights, lights and more lights!

Brilliante Navidad - Christmas lights
Brilliante Navidad – Christmas lights

Continue on to Dominican Christmas Foods.

Christmas Songs

Canciones de Navidad/ Songs of Christmas

The songs of Christmas are an important part of the holiday season in Dominican Republic. Both the traditional carols and the fun merengue tunes. Everyone loves to sing along.

Christmas | Songs | Decorations | Traditional Foods | Town and Neighborhood Traditions | Children – Three Kings Day | El Burrito de Belén song and lyrics | Christmas Words | Picture Collection – Christmas in Colonial Zone and Dominican Republic

Villancicos

Singing Christmas carols, known as villancicos, 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 Té jengibre / Ginger tea (ginger tea recipe), coffee, and for imbibers ron/ rum. The caroling venture usually wrap-ups with a good party that includes drinking, dancing and in general a good time for all.

Christmas / Navidad lights at Brilliante Navidad
Christmas / Navidad lights at Brilliante Navidad

There are many Holiday songs here that are unique to the 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.

Spanish – English Christmas Songs

School children doing a Navidad Show in Parque Rosado
School children doing a Navidad Show in Parque Rosado.

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

*Ya llegó la Navidad/ Deck the Halls
*Feliz Navidad/ Merry Christmas
*Qué verdes son/ O Christmas Tree
*Adornemos Nuestras Casas/ Deck the Halls
*Venid, Adoremos/ O Come All Ye Faithful
*La Primera Navidad/ The First Noel
*Felixidad al Mundo/ Joy to the World
*Jesús en Pesebre/ Away in a Manger
*Campanas de Navidad/ I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
*Noche de Paz/ Silent Night
*Noche Sagrada/ O Holy Night
*A la Nanita, Nana/ Traditional Lullaby
*Los Tres Reyes/ We Three Kings
*El Niño del Tambor/ The Little Drummer Boy
*Los doce días de Navidad/ The 12 Days of Christmas
*Hoy en la tierra/ Angels We Have Heard on High
*¿Qué niño es éste?/ What Child Is This?

CASCABEL/ Jingle Bells

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
Hoy es Navidad Los juguetes hay Que dar por Toda la ciudad Qué bonito es, Es correr con rapidez
Ir con Santa Claus y escuchar su voz Suena el cascabel Quiero ir con él Con mis amiguito
Y cantar feliz noel!!!!

Los peces en el río

Los peces en el río/ The Fishes in the River is a traditional Spanish Christmas Carol that is popular in Spain and Latin America alike. It is about how the fish in the river keep returning to where Mary is so they can see God being born. This is the songs estribillo/ chorus in Spanish and English.

Pero mira cómo beben, los peces en el río.
Pero mira cómo beben, por ver a Dios nacido.
Beben y beben, y vuelven a beber.
Los peces en el río, por ver a Dios nacer.

But look how the fish in the river drink.
But look how they drink in order to see the God who is born.
They drink and they drink and they return to drink,
The fish in the river to see God being born.
*El Burro y el Pavo/ The Donkey and the Turkey

El Pavo Y El Burro

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 “El Burro y El Pavo” MP3

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.

(Chorus/ Estribillo)

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!

(Chorus/ Estribillo)

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.

(Chorus/ Estribillo)

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.

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.

Continue Christmas Food

ColonialZone-DR.com, The Dominican Gringa Blog and Teli, The Dominican Dog have a video Christmas card for you. Felix Navidad.
www.colonialzone-dr.com/christmas-video