Yes, kind of early I know, but some American friends who are soon heading back to the US for Xmas wanted to have a party here before they left, so on Sunday my wife and I are having a "Christmas tree dressing" party (or something like that - the US friends suggested it, is it traditional?) Anyway, the guests will be from Spain, France, Italy, Canada, US (east, west, and middle), Israel, and South Africa (plus a couple of token Brits to show we're not prejudiced!).

The plan is to have everyone sing some
form of "seasonally appropriate" (!) song
from their country (we're getting plenty of
wine in to "fuel" the singing instinct!).
So, feeling in a kind of festive mood, I thought I would extend the greetings of the season from one little multinational group to this much larger "virtual" community on
the MM message board. Let us know what you're all doing for Xmas!

Venga, vamos a cantar...

"Abajaban los pastores por los cerros de Belen,
Abajaban los pastores por los cerros de Belen,
!ABAJABAN! (?QUIEN?)
!LOS PASTORES! (?POR DONDE?)...etc etc!

!Feliz Navidad!

What a lovely way to start of the Christmas season! Have a great party - BTW Tree "trimming" is the way the US folks will refer to your tree dressing ....

Puna - thanks! Yes, tree trimming was the exact expression. I couldn't remember it. Anyhow, it sounds a great idea!

El Boqueron, it sounds like you're going to have a wonderful party. You've inspired me to pull out a very old copy of a poem that's been around for many years, and I bet lots of people on the board have seen it before. I wish I knew who wrote it, to give credit. But here it is, for you and all the others reading this forum. Merry Christmas!

A Spanglish Christmas Story

T’was the night before Christmas, and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring - ¡Caramba! ¿Qué pasa?
The work was all done, and the tired old nanas
Had tucked all the children away in their camas.
The stockings were hung in their places con cuidado,
In hopes that San Nicolás would feel obligado,
When all of a sudden I heard such a grito,
I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito!
I ran to la ventana to look para afuera,
And who in the world do you think que era?
San Nicolás in a trineo and a big red sombrero,
Came flying along like a crazy bombero!
And, pulling the sleigh, en vez de venado,
Habian ocho burritos, approaching volados;
I watched as they came, and this quaint little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:
“¡Ay Pancho! ¡Ay, Pepe! ¡Ay, Licha! ¡Ay, Beto!
"¡Ay, Nato! ¡Ay, Memo! ¡Maruca y Peto!”
Then standing erect with his hand on his pecho,
He flew to the top of our very own techo!
With his round little paunch like a bowl of jalea,
He struggled to fit down our own chimenea;
The huffing and puffing at last in our sala,
From bags full of trinkets and toys from Guatemala,
He filled all the stockings with lovely regalos,
For none of the children had been very malos.
Then chuckling aloud (he seemed very contento)
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.
But I heard him exclaim - and this is the verdad -
¡Salud y pesetas! ¡Feliz navidad!



[This message has been edited by Diana (edited 12-11-2000).]

Please, Diana, don't support Spanglish. It's terrible for both both English and Spanish.

Bah humbug!

Diana, I've heard that "story" before and found it very amusing, thank you for posting it...
I am from a bilingual, mulitcultural region and thought this poem was in good humor...Antonio, I don't think Diana was supporting Spanglish. In the U.S., especially in Southern California, this is simply a play on words and not advocating the mixing of two seperate languages...
To the many people I know who grew up bilingual in the U.S., this poem was found to be amusing, and I feel extremely fortunate to understand the story because I am now bilingual.

Anyway, Feliz Navidad!!!

[This message has been edited by laduque (edited 12-09-2000).]

Antonio, I can't agree with you on this one. One of the things I love about going back to Madrid to see my friends, the majority of whom are originally American/British, is the fact that when we speak English together, we liberally pepper our conversations with Spanish words, phrases, and sentences. We understand each other better this way, because we share many years of living with the two cultures. Some things are expressed much better in one of the languages than in the other, and the fact that we can all switch so effortlessly between English and Spanish, and thereby share a level of communication not everyone can, is something very special. I don't think it should be squelched.

I have known and worked with literally hundreds of people who speak a minimum of two languages. They were both adults and children. All of them knew to speak just one at a time in formal situations. Mixing the two, like in the poem above, or what I do with my friends, happens only in informal situations, and I've never heard this unmentioned rule abused. It happens among friends when they are comfortable together, and all know the two languages. I see it as something extra special people can share. That's why I posted the poem here. The Night Before Christmas is probably the most famous English language poem ever written about Christmas. Almost everyone older than 6 knows it by heart in the United States. I see the readers of this forum as friends who all share a love for Spain, and that includes the Spanish language. How fortunate we are to speak both! A Spanglish version of The Night Before Christmas is something we can all have fun with, as it's like us - bilingual! Let's celebrate it!

[This message has been edited by Diana (edited 12-09-2000).]

That is BILINGUAL humor, not Spanglish. It is intended to amuse those who know two languages well. Spanglish is this: Tengo que cliquear aqui para mandar mi aplicacion. Half of my Puerto Rican students swear that APLICACION is now the accepted word for SOLICITUD. Anyway, off topic. Fleas Navidog to all (another cute joke!)

Hope it's only what rgf said. I really hate Spanglish. I feel so sad when people such as Gloria Stefan speaks Spanish (which is supposed to be her mother tongue) and she can't do it properly.

I envy those people who are real bilingual and can even "play" with both languages. The problems comes when someone mixed both languages in such a terrible way.

Regards,

Antonio

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The best tips from your favourite hostal in Madrid.
Hostal Chelo at http://www.chelo.com

[This message has been edited by Antonio (edited 12-10-2000).]