‘Tis the season for Jingle Bell Rock and Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, but as you tune into your local or digital holiday station, you may also hear the Spanish holiday favorite “Feliz Navidad.” And there are many more ‘villancicos’ or Spanish Christmas carols where that Jose Feliciano song came from, which are the perfect way to advance your child’s bilingual education. Here’s our list of top villancicos for this holiday season. 

1. Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano:  Of course! This super catchy and simple bilingual song is a classic.  Feliciano wishes you “Feliz Navidad, Prospero Año y Felicidad” which translates to “Merry Christmas, Prosperous New Year and Happiness”.  We love it “from the bottom, of our heaaaaarts.”
2. Mi Burrito Sabanero: If you didn’t know it, “Tuki tuki tuki tuki, tuki tuki tuki ta” is the sound a donkey makes on his journey to Bethlehem….AND it’s also the catchy lyrics you’ll be singing after listening to this song.  This Venezuelan villancico is a true classic.  Check out the book here.
3. Belen, Campanas de Belen: This is one of the most joyous Spanish Christmas songs and translates to “Bethlehem, Bells of Bethlehem.”  Your little angels can sing along to the chorus that evokes the bells of Bethlehem ringing to announce the birth of Jesus.
4. Noche de paz: Although not originally in Spanish, we love the Spanish version of Silent Night.  Knowing the tune and lyrics in English will make it easier to sing along in a second language. 

We invite you to explore the wonderful world of villancicos. You can start with Spanish holiday song stations like Pandora’s Navidad Latina, or find holiday YouTube kids music ¡Feliz Navidad!