Twas the Night Before Christmas, MEXICAN STYLE!

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring. Caramba! Que pasa?
Los niños were tucked away en su cama,
Some in long underwear, some en pijama.

They hung up their stockings con mucho cuidado
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado
To bring all the children, both buenos y malos,
A nice batch of dulces y otros regalos.

Outside in the yard there arose such a grito
That I jumped to my feet like a frightened cabrito.
I ran to the window and looked out afuera
And who in the world do you think that it era?

Saint Nick in a sleigh and a big red sombrero
Came dashing along like a crazy bombero.
And pulling his sleigh instead of venados
Were eight little burros approaching volados.

I watched as they came and this quaint little hombre
Was shouting and whistling and calling by nombre:
“Ay Pancho, ay Pepe, ay Cuco, ay Beto,
Ay Chato, ay Chopo, Macuco, y Nieto!”

Then standing erect with his hands on his pecho
He flew to the top of our very own techo.
With his round little belly like a bowl of jalea
He struggled to squeeze down our old chimenea.

Then huffing and puffing at last in our sala
With soot smeared all over his red suit de gala,
He filled all the stockings with lovely regalos,
For none of the niños had been very malos.

Then chuckling aloud, seeming very contento
He turned like a flash and was gone like the viento.
And I heard him exclaim and this is verdad,
“Merry Christmas to all, and Feliz Navidad!”

(Ed. Note: This came in too late for our December issue, but we think it’s too good for our readers to miss. Thanks to Mark Sconce for sending it to us.)