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Expert's Corner:
Latino Christmas: Navidad en el Barrio
by Anita and
Roberto Cano
Cultura Latina Bookstore
in Long Beach, CA
Feliz Navidad!
to Latinos brings thoughts of Las Posadas, Christmas Tamales,
Piñatas, Los Tres Reyes Magos (The Three Wisemen), and family
and friends in faraway countries. What makes Navidad en el Barrio so
unique is the distinctive blend of the Christmas traditions of two cultures.
 For
example, kids open gifts twice: once at midnight on Christmas Eve, and again
on the morning of January 6, the Day of the Three Wisemen who delivered their
gifts to the baby Jesus.
Remember that in
South America Christmas falls smack in the middle of summer where Santa, Rudolph
and Frosty the Snowman would be totally out of place. Here in the U.S. candlelight
processions and Midnight Mass are combined with Christmas carols sung in English
and Spanish. And we enjoy our baked ham right along with Cuban lechón
(roasted piglet) and eggnog deliciously juxtaposed with Mexican chocolate
con canela (cinnamon). This combination of Pan-Latino and American traditions
make the celebrations last for days filled with familia, fiestas,
prayers and food.
Everyone is invited
to share and actively participate in these unique celebrations by reading all
about them in this highly recommended selection of wonderful holiday books for
the whole family.
 Las
Christmas: Favorite Latino Authors Share Their Holiday Memories
by Esmeralda
Santiago and Joie
Davidow (Editors)
This is a Christmas classic, and a font of information on Pan-Latino Christmas
celebrations as seen through the eyes of prominent Latino authors who recall
childhood memories -- including some delicious recipes of the season.
 Noche
Buena: Hispanic American Christmas Stories
by Nicholas
Kanellos (Editor)
Nochebuena means Christmas Eve. Here, we have a collection of traditional Christmas
stories and legends from various Latin American authors. How the poinsettia
came to be red and the meaning and significance of the nine-day Las Posadas
processions are among the many, many other time-honored favoritos de Navidad.
 The
Latino Holiday
by Valerie
Menard
With a foreword by the erstwhile Cheech Marín, this funny and informative book
delves into the Christmas foods and traditions as celebrated by the various
Hispanic communities residing in the U.S.: The Cuban-Americans in Miami, the
Puerto Rican-Americans in New York, and the Mexican-Americans in the Southwest.
Hurray
for Three Kings' Day!
by Lori
Carlson
A great book for kids, with a few Spanish words interspersed and a glossary
at the end, on this uniquely Latin American tradition (observed every January
6) now transformed and celebrated by a family in a U.S.-Latino neighborhood.
 The
Gift of the Poinsettia
by Pat
Mora
Another beautifully
illustrated book by a renowned children's author, this bilingual edition (alternating
paragraphs in English and Spanish) tells the story of a poor boy and his grandmother
in Mexico who have nothing to offer the baby Jesus for Christmas until a miracle
saves the day! Includes an explanation of Las Posadas at the end.
Farolitos
of Christmas
by Rudolfo
A. Anaya and Edward
Gonzales
(Illustrator)
Farolitos (or luminarias) are an inherently Southwestern tradition at Navidad.
They are small, lighted velas (candles) placed in paper bags filled with sand
to symbolize the path followed by Joseph and Mary as they sought shelter. In
this heartwarming book for children we see the efforts of a grandfather and
his granddaughter in New Mexico, who keep the tradition of the farolitos alive
while the father of the family is away fighting in World War II.
Read
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