Nochebuena y Navidad

Nochebuena dinner, the Christmas lottery, turrón and villancicos: Christmas in Spanish from Madrid to Mexico.

Nochebuena family dinners, villancicos, the misa del gallo and gifts from Papá Noel or the Niño Dios.

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Opens Dec 24, closes Dec 25 · 48 hours

what Nochebuena y Navidad is

Nochebuena, 24 December, is the big family dinner of the Spanish-speaking world: in Spain lamb or suckling pig, sea bream, prawns and jamón, followed by turrón, polvorones and mazapán, the almond sweets that fill every shop from November; in Mexico bacalao, romeritos and ponche; in Argentina an asado eaten outdoors in midsummer. Many still go to the misa del gallo, the midnight mass, and the days before are marked in Spain by the Lotería de Navidad on 22 December, when schoolchildren sing out the winning numbers and the whole country waits for El Gordo.

Navidad itself is quieter, a lunch of leftovers and a walk to see the belén, the nativity scene that families, town halls and churches build in every size. Villancicos are sung to tambourines and the zambomba, a friction drum, and the greeting 'Feliz Navidad' is answered with 'y próspero año nuevo'. In Spain the presents mostly wait for the Reyes Magos on 6 January, though Papá Noel now visits on the 25th too; in Mexico and Colombia the Niño Dios brings them on Nochebuena, and the aguinaldo, a Christmas bonus, arrives with December wages.

what you'll learn5 domains

The pack has 36 words spread across these domains.

GreetingsCommon phrases and well-wishes used during the Christmas season.

Event DayThe specific days and times when Nochebuena and Navidad are celebrated.

FoodTraditional dishes and feasts prepared for Nochebuena and Navidad.

FamilyThe role of family in Nochebuena and Navidad celebrations.

GiftsThe tradition of giving and receiving presents during Navidad.

the run — three rounds, about three minutes, unlimited practice

Round 1 · MatchPair the word with its meaning. Six pairs, one attempt each.

Round 2 · SpellType the word you hear, accents and all. Beginners see the meaning and complete the word instead.

Round 3 · MeaningSix questions on what happens at Nochebuena y Navidad and what it is called.

how scoring works

How you are ranked

1AccuracyEvery correct answer counts the same. Anything you leave unanswered counts as wrong.

2Time, only to break tiesTime is read only when two people have the same accuracy. It never beats a better score.

For example

1100%3:41Marta

2100%4:02Joan — same score, slower

397%2:10Núria — fastest, still third

Two separate boards

BeginnerAdvanced

Same words in both. Beginner gets more help: matching and completing. Advanced listens and spells it out unaided. Pick it in practice; it locks when you take the scored run.

One scored run

Practise as often as you like, all year. The scored run happens once, while the competition is open, and cannot be retaken.