Every year, we Latinos gather around our baby grand pianos to sing carols with our families and friends while enjoying warm cider and gingerbread cookies. No? Okay most likely not.
But if we did, we would certainly create our own versions of popular carols to reflect how we and our familias celebrate the holiday (including the pernil and arroz con gandules). So here’s a spin on an old standby, The Twelve Days of Christmas:
(to be sung to the traditional melody)
On the first day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
A mango and coconut tree.
On the second day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the third day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Four Cuba Libres,
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Five ro-sa-ries,
Four Cuba Libres,
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the sixth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Six cervezas frias,
Five ro-sa-ries,
Four Cuba Libres,
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the seventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Seven Hallelujahs,
Six cervezas frias,
Five ro-sa-ries,
Four Cuba Libres,
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the eighth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ocho primos locos,
Seven Hallelujahs,
Six cervezas frias,
Five ro-sa-ries,
Four Cuba Libres,
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the ninth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Nine dulces de coco,
Ocho primos locos,
Seven Hallelujahs,
Six cervezas frias,
Five ro-sa-ries,
Four Cuba Libres,
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the tenth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Ten pastelitos,
Nine dulces de coco,
Ocho primos locos,
Seven Hallelujahs,
Six cervezas frias,
Five ro-sa-ries,
Four Cuba Libres,
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the eleventh day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Eleven bachateros,
Ten pastelitos,
Nine dulces de coco,
Ocho primos locos,
Seven Hallelujahs,
Six cervezas frias,
Five ro-sa-ries,
Four Cuba Libres,
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
On the twelfth day of Christmas,
my true love sent to me
Twelve sexy salseros,
Eleven bachateros,
Ten pastelitos,
Nine dulces de coco,
Ocho primos locos,
Seven Hallelujahs,
Six cervezas frias,
Five rosaries,
Four Cuba Libres,
Tres Rejes Magos,
Two chiles rellenos,
And a mango and coconut tree.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and should not be understood to be shared by Being Latino, Inc.
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About Adriana Villavicencio
By “ocho primos locos” I was nearly falling off my chair laughing.
Good one! thanks for the laugh.