La Maleta: An End of the Year Tradition
I have to be honest that I have done this a few times and have gotten great results!
I have to be honest that I have done this a few times and have gotten great results!
My favorite tradition is “las Doce Uvas”. The tradition of eating twelve grapes that represent wishes for the New Year. Every grape is eaten when the bell of the end of the year strikes. It strikes 12 times before the New Year starts.
This is a fun tradition to share with your students. Depending on the level you teach have your students make pictures or write about their wishes on every grape (see freebie below). You can also create bunches of grapes (see freebie below) in class and have your students work on just one wish.
Here are some examples of wishes you can teach your students:
1. Yo deseo más recreo.
2. Yo deseo paz.
3. Yo deseo amor.
4. Yo deseo jugar.
5. Yo deseo ver películas en clase.
6. Yo deseo tomar una siesta.
7. Yo deseo comer dulces.
9. Yo deseo tener más amigos.
10. Yo deseo bailar.
11. Yo deseo aprender más español.
12. Yo deseo una fiesta.
This resource is available on Teachers Pay Teachers:
Winter has finally arrived here in Boston. It’s time to start building snowmen, but even if snow never gets to the where you are, you can create opportunities to teach about seasons and weather in different parts of the world.
Here are some ideas:
1. Create your own snowman with felt fabric. Use it to teach or review colors, shapes, parts of the body, clothes and sizes.
This is how my snowman looks now:
2. Pin the Nose on the Snowman: I sing the fist part of “El Hombre de Nieve” song while one of the students puts the nose on the snowman.
3. Teach “El Hombre de Nieve” song with this video:
4. Snowman is also known as “Muñeco de Nieve”in Spanish. Here is another song.
5. Use this worksheet for your students to read the colors and color the different pieces according to what they read.
I have included two versions, one for readers and one for non-readers. I also included two versions: “El Hombre de Nieve” and “El Muñeco de Nieve.”
Every year on December 7th, Colombia celebrates “La Noche de las Velitas” (also known as El Día de las Velitas), a night filled with candles and joy to celebrate Virgin Mary. This night also marks the beginning of all Christmas activities in Colombia.
What a good opportunity to bring some culture to your Spanish classes. Use a map and invite your students to find Colombia. You can also use Google Earth to make the trip more interactive and use a play passport for the trip. Share with them some information about this important celebration. Here are some useful resources for teachers to learn about the celebration:
La Fiesta de la Luz (Historia)
The Beautiful Noche de la Velitas in Bogota
Some videos of the celebration:
In the main parts of the big cities, people gather together to watch fireworks and shows.