Spanish Christmas Songs: A Good Exercise in Translation

Christmas is a time when many people around the world come together to celebrate. While the traditions and customs may vary, one thing that remains the same is the music. Spanish Christmas songs are some of the most beloved pieces of music in the world, and many of them have been translated into multiple languages.

One excellent way to improve your translation skills is to translate Christmas songs into Spanish. Not only will you get practice translating, but you’ll also learn more about the different cultures that celebrate Christmas. Plus, it’s just really fun to sing Christmas carols in other languages!

One of the things I enjoy every year is singing all of the English and Spanish Christmas songs during the holidays at the end of the year. It’s something I started doing when I was little living in Spain and it has become one of my favorite traditions.

And as a translator, I can attest to the fact that translating Christmas songs is an excellent way to improve your language skills. Because the lyrics are usually pretty straightforward, it’s a great opportunity to practice your grammar and vocabulary. And because Christmas songs are often so emotional, it’s also a great way to practice conveying meaning and tone in your translations.

How to Practice Translating Spanish Christmas Songs

Practicing translating Christmas songs is actually quite easy. There are a few different ways you can go about it.

One option is to find a list of popular Christmas songs in Spanish and their English translations. Then, see if you can match up the lyrics yourself. This is a great way to test your knowledge of vocabulary and grammar.

Another option is to find a recording of a Spanish Christmas song and try to sing along with it. This is a great way to practice your pronunciation and listening skills.

Finally, you can also try translating the lyrics of a Christmas song from English into Spanish on your own. This is a great way to really challenge yourself and see how well you can translate meaning and emotion.

If you want a more structured exercise, you can also try translating a Christmas carol from English to Spanish line by line. This is a great way to really focus on each individual word and phrase. While word-for-word translation isn’t always possible (or desirable), it can be a helpful exercise to see how well you can convey the meaning of the original lyrics in your target language.

Why Practice Translating Music?

Translating music is an excellent way to improve your language skills for a few different reasons.

Grammar & Vocabulary

First, it’s a great way to practice your grammar and vocabulary. Christmas songs usually have fairly simple lyrics, so this is a great opportunity to work on translating basic sentence structures and common words and phrases.

Pronunciation & Listening Skills

Second, translating Christmas songs is also a great way to practice your pronunciation and listening skills. Singing along with a recording of a Spanish Christmas song will help you get a feel for the rhythm and flow of the language. And it’s also just a lot of fun!

Conveying Meaning & Emotion

Finally, translating Christmas songs is also a great way to practice conveying meaning and emotion in your target language. Because Christmas songs are often so emotional, it’s a great opportunity to really focus on how you can use language to convey feeling and tone.

So if you’re looking for a fun and challenging way to improve your Spanish translation skills, I highly recommend translating Christmas songs! To get you started, here are five of my favorite English Christmas songs and their Spanish translations.

Spanish Christmas Songs to Start With

There are several different ways you can find Spanish Christmas songs to translate. One option is to search for popular Christmas carols in Spanish on YouTube or Spotify. Another option is to find lyrics websites like MetroLyrics or Genius and search for “Spanish Christmas songs.”

To help you get started, here are five of my favorite English Christmas songs:

(Sorted in alphabetical order by English title)

A Holly Jolly Christmas

Jingle Bells in Spanish

Deck the Halls With Boughs of Holly

Feliz Navidad

Frosty the Snowman

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Twas the Night Before Christmas

White Christmas

Other Famous Works to Practice Translation

In addition to Christmas songs, here are a few other suggestions of well-known English works that you can practice translating:

U.S. National Anthem

While “The Star-Spangled Banner” is technically a poem, it’s often song as an anthem. This makes the U.S. National Anthem a great choice for practicing your translation skills. In addition, the anthem is full of rich vocabulary and complex sentence structures, so it’s also a great way to challenge yourself grammatically.

The Gettysburg Address

This famous speech by Abraham Lincoln is another excellent choice for practicing your translation skills. It’s a bit shorter than the U.S. National Anthem, but it’s still full of complex sentence structures and rich vocabulary. Another bonus is that the Gettysburg Address is already divided into short paragraphs, which makes it easier to tackle one section at a time.

Other Translation and Interpretation Movies

There are several movies about translation and interpretation that you might enjoy. A few of my favorites include:

• The Interpreter
• The Nuremberg Trials
• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Greek Interpreter
• Windtalkers

Up for the Challenge?

Start practicing your translation skills today with these five English Christmas songs. And if you’re feeling extra ambitious, try translating one of the other works on this list. Whatever you choose, happy translating!

FAQ – Spanish Christmas Songs