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Latin American Christmas/Navidad Latinoamericana

A book and CD celebrating Hispanic traditions



Illustrations

Music

Ordering Information

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Welcome to your childhood memories of your Latin American Christmas!
Este es el rincón cariñoso de nuestros recuerdos de niñez en Navidad.

Features

Preface

Prologue

Author of the Novena

The Singers

Pricing

Contact Information

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Features

Includes a CD with "Las posadas" along with many other favorite Christmas carols.
Complete with English and Spanish translations.
The Lyrics are included so your entire family can sing along.
Nine days of prayers before Christmas with beautiful illustrations.
Learn Christmas traditions from (25) Latin American Countries. Argentina, Belize, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Republica Dominicana, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela.
A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to set up scholarship funds for Latin American children.

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Prefacio

Una Navidad en los Estados Unidos, sentada con mis sobrinos alrededor del pesebre, quise trasmitirles los sentimientos navideños más valiosos que endulzaron mi corazón en la niñez, mas no tenía la música con que ayudarme.

El compartir mis recuerdos no bastaba para hacerles captar el contenido y el espíritu de nuestra rica tradición navideña. No me costó mucho comprender que yo no era una excepción. Había muchos latinos alrededor del mundo en esta situación. De ahí que me propuse realizar este proyecto que hoy les entrego.

He creado este libro y este disco compacto para ustedes, hermanos de Latinoamérica, aquéllos que tienen la dicha de caminar por su tierra querida y aquéllos que la van llevando en su corazón por las distancias del mundo. Sé que sus recuerdos de Navidad están entre los más preciados de su corazón, como lo están en el mío. Lo he hecho de tal modo que las canciones de este libro y este disco compacto despertarán sonidos que estaban guardados en la memoria, para que ustedes los canturreen y pronuncien al leer el contenido de sus letras. Las oraciones de la Novena llenarán su sed de infinitud en las cosas pequeñas porque salieron de la mano de un jesuíta que ama la vida desde una visión totalizadora. Las ilustraciones salidas de la pluma de un pintor ecuatoriano nos proveerán de una mezcla provechosa de lo clásico, lo típicamente latino y lo surrealista de nuestro arte. Al mismo tiempo nos recrearemos con las tradiciones navideñas de estos veinticinco países hermanos.

Necesitamos estar preparados para esos inolvidables momentos de recogimiento familiar alrededor del pesebre o el arbolito de Navidad. Y este libro acompañado del disco compacto que pongo en las manos de ustedes llenará ese vacío que todos hemos sentido. Él nos transportará a nuestras raíces y recuerdos de niñez, será la guía que nos hará vibrar con el sentido auténtico de Navidad y nos hará volver al cálido regazo de la abuelita y de los padres, cuando nos sentíamos, igual que ese Dulce Niño, con el derecho a ser amados y amar. Incluso, es mi deseo que personas que no son latinas, encuentren en estas páginas una comprensión mayor de quiénes somos como pueblo y como nación.

Estoy tan orgullosa de mi sobrina, Michele Marie Ostroski, que a sus diecisiete años se ofreció a escribir, en la primera edición, la versión en inglés de las tradiciones navideñas. Su inmersión en este proyecto contribuyó al enriquecimiento de su herencia latina. Coincido con todos ustedes en que la Navidad es la expresión de amor más universal y sublime que se ha dado en el mundo, enviada por Aquél que es la fuente de todo Amor. Para ser consecuente con ello, parte de las ganancias de este libro ayudarán a incrementar el Fondo de becas educativas para niños latinos que mantiene el Padre Bernardo Pistone en Lancaster, Pennsylvania. De manera que al calor de nuestras tradiciones estaremos creando un futuro mejor para la nueva generación de latinos en los Estados Unidos de América. �Que Navidad continúe siendo una fiesta de alegría y transparencia!

Charito Calvachi
Otoño 1999
Lancaster, Pa.

Preface                                                    

This Book and CD results from my desire to make Latin American Christmas traditions, including carol tunes and lyrics, prayers, stories, and art, available in both the English and Spanish languages. When my nieces and nephews asked me to teach them about the celebrations in our native cultures, I realized that such resources were not easily available. My memory alone could not convey the spirit of our rich traditional heritage. I also found this to be true for other Latino groups living in the United States.

When my family would reunite at Christmas, I found that we needed a better way to pass on our traditions. So, this present collection of traditional music, literature, prayers, and art, representing the expressions of as many as twenty-five Latin American countries, should meet the needs of my family and many others. As people come together to celebrate Christmas, this guide can both bring back memories of "home" and childhood, as well as teach others, thereby extending these memories into the present. Now new generations of Latin American children living in the United States can learn by participating in the message of Christmas in ways that will link them in spirit to their ancestors. I would also hope that non-Latino individuals will be attracted to this Book and CD to see the common threads in the ways we all celebrate Christmas and to increase their understanding of who we are as people and nations sharing the Christmas spirit throughout the world.

Naturally, many people contributed to a work of this magnitude, but I would especially like to express my appreciation to my seventeen-year-old niece, Michele Marie Ostroski, who offered to write the English version of the narrative in its first edition, now edited. What better way could there be for a young person to learn about her Latin American heritage!

In conclusion, it is my belief that Christmas is the supreme and universal gift of love from the Highest Love of all. Therefore, I want to contribute to this truth by offering part of the profits on this project to the scholarship fund for young Latinos administered by Father Bernardo Pistone in Lancaster, Pa.

Charito Calvachi
Fall 99
Lancaster, Pa

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PR�LOGO

Una Estrella Para La Vida

Todos necesitamos una estrella que ilumine la ruta de la vida.

Como los Reyes Magos, andamos buscando al Se�or del Amor por caminos oscuros a veces, por barrancos peligrosos, por senderos de paz y armon�a, en ocasiones. Y es preciso tener algo, Alguien, que nos gu�e con dulzura, que nos prevenga de males y d� vigor al coraz�n para las horas duras. Como los Reyes Magos tambi�n nosotros tenemos una Estrella que brilla en el coraz�n e ilumina la existencia. �Esa estrella es el mismo Jes�s! Camino que anda con nosotros, Verdad que nos exige y ense�a, Vida que palpita en el coraz�n.

La Navidad est� llena de s�mbolos, como �ste de la Estrella. El "s�mbolo" es una se�al que nos anuncia algo y que, adem�s est� cargado de afecto: los s�mbolos golpean el coraz�n. As� tenemos el �rbol de la vida, los "belenes" que hemos preparado con nuestras manos, los villancicos, las comidas propias de este tiempo. Todos son s�mbolos que nos hablan de lo m�s rico que llevamos en el alma.

Y para que los vivamos m�s jubilosamente se edita este libro y CD con los cantos que han resonado en nuestro coraz�n desde la infancia, con la Novena del Ni�o Dios que ha congregado en torno a la cunita del Amor a toda la familia, a�o tras a�o, con los cuadros que sintetizan toda la ternura de estos misterios.
Mant�n las costumbres ricas de nuestro ser de Latinos y entr�galas palpitantes a tus hijos y allegados.
Salvemos este tesoro cultiv�ndolo, cant�ndolo, mir�ndolo con amor. As�, la Estrella de Bel�n seguir� iluminando nuestra vida.

Marco Vinicio Rueda, S.J.

Prologue

A Star For Life

Everyone needs a star to guide and brighten their way of life. Just as the Three Kings did long ago, we all search for the Lord of Love through paths that are at times dark and obscure, through roads that lead us near dangerous cliffs, and, upon occasion, through paths of peace and harmony. We all find it necessary to have something or someone to guide us with love, protect us from danger, and touch our hearts during the trials of life. Like the Three Kings, we also have a star that shines in our hearts and that gives light to our existence. That star is Jesus Christ who walks side by side with us in Truth, who teaches us in Faith, and who gives us the Life that beats in our hearts.

Christmas is full of symbols such as that of the star. Symbols are signs that announce the arrival of something that touches our hearts. These symbols include the Tree of Life, the nativity scene that we build with our own hands, Christmas carols, and special foods prepared for this season. All of these symbols which we carry in our hearts point to and glorify the Christ. To remember all that these symbols represent and to further appreciate their deep meanings, Charito Calvachi created this Book and CD and included carols that we cherish from our childhood, music that resonates in our hearts, songs that celebrate the "Novena" prayers of the Christ Child, and Christmas traditions that reflect the cradle of love in all of our families.

Through this Book and CD we hope to enhance and maintain our rich Latin customs and pass them on to our children, generation after generation. We hope to keep this treasure alive by nourishing it, singing it, and experiencing it with love. In this way, the star of Bethlehem will continue to illuminate our lives.

Marco Vinicio Rueda, S.J.

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Author of the Novena

Fr. Rueda works as a spiritual counselor who promotes a prayer campaign with emphasis on Saint Ignace Spiritual Exercises. He has authored several books of Antrophology and prayer techniques. One of them is The Integrated Meditation Course: a way to unite the corporal in our communication with God.

Fr. Rueda lives in Quito, Ecuador.

He believes that the bad things that happen in this era are so deep rooted that it will take a truly conscious change withing ourselves to make life better. The only way to do this is through meditation.

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The Singers of the original version

Mariana Alarc�n: Teaches Art at the American High School, Quito, Ecuador.

Eduardo Calvachi Cruz: Business manager, Quito, Ecuador.

Lcda. Rosi Calvachi Cruz: Teaches Literature at the American High School, Quito, Ecuador. Publications: "Spanish Course for Foreigners", "Advanced Spanish Course for Foreigners", "Spanish Survival Phrases for Foreigners".

Alicia Serrano de Dur�n: Librarian, American High School, Quito, Ecuador.

Dr. Gladis Monsalve de Granda: Teaches chemistry at the American High School, Quito, Ecuador.

Dr. Charito Calvachi: Lawyer, Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE), mediator, Lancaster Mediation Center (LMC) and Lancaster Area Victim Offender Reconciliation Program (LAVORP), Radio Centro FM "Latinas of today and tomorrow" radio program producer, "Al Dia" news paper correspondent, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

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Pricing

Description Item # Price
Book & CD 1010 $29.95
Shipping & Handling   $5.50
Priority Mail (2 -3 days)   $7.50

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Contact Information

Latin American Creations Publishing
P.O. Box 43
Lewes, DE 19958
Phone: (717) 951-0905
E-mail: [email protected]

 

 

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Last modified: Febuary 1, 2015
Copyright by Charito Calvachi-Mateyko. All rights reserved.