5 Latin American Christmas Stories to Read This Holiday Season

“I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future.” - Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

The holiday season is upon us! If we had to choose the quintessential Christmas story, our minds might go straight to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a very Eurocentric and westernized version of the Christmas holiday. The cold, snowy London weather described by the author bears little resemblance to the Christmas Eve we experience every year in Latin America. We had to ask: What Christmas stories can Latino families get familiar with?

In many parts of Latin America, December is bright, warm, and summery that seeing an old white man with a white beard wearing a thick red coat in the snow may seem like torture! Still, Latin American culture incorporates European and religious elements and mixes them up with its own indigenous traditions. Beyond that, no matter what region Latinos are from or emigrated from, children are the ones who are most captivated by the magic of the holidays. 

We recommend five Christmas stories by Latin American authors that feel more like home and offer a fresh take for the holidays. 

All of the Christmas stories mentioned in this article belong to El último árbol. Cuentos de Navidad (“The Last Tree: Christmas Stories”), an anthology by Mónica Maristain published in 2011 by Planeta. Many short Spanish stories explore scenes from childhood, whether fictional or based on the writers’ own lives. 

1. “Sueño de Navidad” (“Christmas Dream”)

Born in Mexico in 1918, Juan José Arreola was a celebrated writer, actor, editor, and teacher. At twenty-three years old, he published this short Christmas story in El Vigía magazine, influenced by Russian playwright Leonid Andreyev. 

This Mexican Christmas story is the writer’s first work and closely follows Jorge, a boy tormented by remorse on Christmas Eve, despite the date being defined by its happiness. As a result of this contradiction, the narrator shows us the thoughts and dreams of the little boy, who carries the guilt of having used violence against a bully at his school. At the end, a fantastic detail will catch your attention as a reader. The moral of this story is the importance of reflecting on our actions.

2. “El árbol más grande del mundo” (“The Largest Tree in the World”)

Federico Andahazi is an Argentine writer and psychologist. In 2018, during his weekly radio show, he opened a door to his childhood with a moving Christmas story about family and tradition. 

In his story, he author describes his grandfather, a “socialist and uncompromising agnostic,” and his strong opposition to celebrating Christmas. This refusal greatly saddened little Federico, who spent the holidays peeping over his neighbors’ houses and their Christmas decorations. However, a moment shared between him and his relative triggers unexpected consequences. 

3.  “La Navidad como escalera” (“Christmas as a Ladder”)

As a writer and editor, Alberto Ruy Sánchez has left his mark on the world of Mexican literature, with stories translated into ten languages. Since 1988, he has also served as editor-in-chief of Artes de México magazine. This Mexican Christmas short story is a perfect example of how children, thanks to their imagination, are capable of elevating the most mundane objects. 

The Christmas story follows a boy who plays on a staircase that takes him wherever he wants to go, whether it's a cheese moon or a medieval castle. This short story also shows us what typical foods are prepared for Christmas in Mexico.

4. “La tarjeta postal” (“The Postcard”)

Norma Lazo is a psychologist, screenwriter, and writer from Veracruz. She’s also a member of the National System of Art Creators, an institution that supports Mexico’s artistic and cultural heritage. Her Christmas story is from the book Medidas extremas (“Extreme Measures”), published by Cal y arena in 2014. “La tarjeta postal” is about a Christmas card that ends up in the wrong hands. The protagonist, intrigued by the strange message, decides to find Eloísa Laffitte, the true recipient. 

This Mexican Christmas story revolves around loneliness and forgiveness, and always seeks to subvert the expectations of the reader.

5. La Navidad en las montañas (“Christmas in the Mountains”)

Finally, if a short Christmas story isn’t enough for you, perhaps a longer one will be. Ignacio Manual Altamirano wrote this novella in 1871, which was included in 2018 in the collection “Novelas en tránsito” (“Novels in Transit”), promoted by the National Autonomous University of Mexico. This utopian tale had an educational function for the Mexican people of that time. In other words, Altamirano sought to instill the religious values of Christmas in an accessible way.

The story follows Jacinto and Leonor, peasants who lead a humble life and face economic limitations to celebrate Christmas as they wish. This novella teaches us to be grateful for the good things in our lives and to appreciate what we have. 

That’s all we have for you for today! If you have children and wish for them to reconnect with their Latino heritage during the holidays, you can choose one of these Christmas children’s stories!

¡Feliz Navidad y feliz Nochebuena! 

Resumen en español

El artículo presenta cinco relatos navideños escritos por autores latinoamericanos, todos incluidos en la antología El último árbol. Cuentos de Navidad. Explica cómo, a diferencia de las imágenes invernales europeas, la Navidad latinoamericana mezcla tradiciones propias con las heredadas. Te invitamos a reconectar con la identidad latinoamericana a través de estas historias navideñas.