Teaching specialized vocabulary in Spanish is a good way to add variety to the lesson plan. This article provides a specialized Spanish vocabulary word list for Christmas, along with a downloadable matching quiz.
Christmas Spanish Vocabulary List
The two Christmas vocabulary lists below are divided into a general (secular) group and another that emphasizes the religious aspects of the holiday.
Christmas Terms - List 1
Celebrate Christmas - _celebrar la Navidad_
- Christmas cake - el pastel de Navidad
- Christmas card - el saludo navideño, la tarjeta de Navidad
- Christmas decorations - adornos de Navidad
- Christmas dinner - la comida de Navidad
- Christmas Eve - La Nochebuena, la víspera de Navidad
- Christmas gift - el regalo de Navidad
- Christmas holiday - La Pascua
- Christmas Holidays - las vacciones de Navidad
- Christmas is just around the corner - La Navidad está en puertas.
- Christmas lights - las luces navideñas
- Christmas party - la fiesta navideña
- Christmas sales - las ventas navideñas
- Christmas shopping - las compras de Navidad
- Christmas stocking - el calcetín de Navidad
- Christmas time - la navidad
- Christmas tree - el árbol de Navidad, el árbol de Pascua
- Christmas wreath - el ramo de Navidad
- For Christmas - por Navidad
- Holly - el acebo
- Merry Christmas - ¡feliz Navidad!
- Merry Christmas and a Prosperous/Happy New Year! - ¡Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo!
- Mistletoe - el muérdago
- My best wishes for Christmas - mi buenos deseos para Navidad
- New Year - Año Nuevo
- Poinsettia (flower) - flor de Navidad
- Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - Rudolph El Reno de la Nariz Roja
- Santa Claus - Papá Noel, San Nicolás
- Season’s greetings! - ¡Felices fiestas!
- Send a Christmas greeting - enviar un saludo navideño
- Sleigh - el trineo
- Sleigh bell - el casabel
- Spend Christmas with - pasar las Navidades con
- Tinsel - el espumillón
- What did you get for Christmas? - ¿Qué te regalaron para Navidad?
- Wish Merry Christmas - desear Feliz Navidad
Christmas Terms - List 2
- Angels - los ángeles
- Baby Jesus - el niño Jesús
- Balthasar, Gaspar, Melchior - Baltasar, Gaspar, Melchor
- Christmas carol - villancico
- Christmas spirit - el espíritu navideño
- Christmas story - el relato navideño
- Crib - el pesebre
- Donkey - un burro
- Gold, frankincense and myrrh - oro, incienso y mirra
- Jerusalem - Jerusalén
- Mary and Joseph - la Virgen María y José
- Midnight Mass - la misa del gallo
- Nativity scene - el nacimiento, un belén (Belén = Bethlehem)
- Shepherds - los pastores
- The Three Wise Men - los Reyes Magos
Suggested Classroom Activities
A vocabulary Grouping Exercise
♦ List 1 can be broken down into arbitrary categories of (1) Christmas “things” (tinsel, sleigh bell, etc.), (2) greetings (Merry Christmas, etc.) and traditions (gifts, mistletoe, parties, etc.). Divide the class into three groups and give each group the vocabulary list. Each group is to confer and mark the list according to their respective grouping. When the marking is complete, students can take turns adding one item to a list on the board. Ask the class to say the Spanish term aloud as it is entered.
A Matching Quiz
♦ Consider adding a vocabulary matching quiz (based on these terms) to a regularly scheduled quiz. (See the suggested matching quiz below.)
Downloadable Word List and Matching Quiz
Download the Christmas word list and matching quiz from Bright Hub Education by clicking on the link for Spanish Christmas Terms .
This post is part of the series: Spanish Vocabulary for U.S. Holidays
Students can build vocabulary through specialized Spanish vocabulary lists. This series lists Spanish Vocabulary words related to holidays in the USA and has downloadable Spanish vocabulary word lists and matching quizzes.
