Our holidays have always been a mix of culture and traditions, but they're blended so well that it's sometimes hard to separate where one ends and the other begins. We eat tamales (de venado), with ketchup. Yep, ketchup (it's a habit leftover from childhood). We drink Abuelita hot chocolate. We make lots of fudge. We wait and wait and wait until we hear Last Christmas by Wham! play in some retail store so we can be filled with nostalgia. 

When I was a kid we never missed going to las posadas, and I remember whoever happened to be hosting always gave the kids paper bags full of hard candy, apples, oranges and cacahuates. Yes, we were happy to get fruit! I'm also old enough to remember perusing the Sears Christmas catalog and picking out a Strawberry shortcake bike. And a five-piece furniture set with canopy bed that must've been too big for Santa Clos to transport.

Of course, behind every good memory is a soundtrack, and in our house, the soundtrack happens to go from English to Spanish and back and forth. So I decided to make a mix-tape of what we like so that I could share with others. I call it a 'Mi Spanglish Holiday Mix Tape.' It's a mix that goes from Spanish to English, from grown-up songs to tunes that delight toddlers (or mine, at least). Hope you enjoy. I've linked most of the songs to iTunes in case you want to download.

1. Mamacita, Donde Esta Santa Claus, Augie Rios
2. Baby, It's Cold Outside, A Very She and Him Christmas (Zooey Deschanel)
3. Christmas in Harlem, Kanye West
4. Los Peces en el Rio, Gipsy Kings
5. Feliz Navidad, Tito el Bambino
6. Come on! Let's Boogie to the Elf Dance! Sufjan Stevens
   
7. Run Run Rudolph, Los Lonely Boys
8. You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch, Glee
9. Party Hard, Little Isidore
10. Todo Lo Que Quiero Eres Tu, Kabah
11. El Burrito de Belen, Juanes
12. Miracle, Matisyahu (feat. Shyne)
13. Star of Wonder, Tori Amos
14. The Chipmunk Song, Christmas Don't Be Late
15. Rill Rill, Sleigh Bells
16. Lechon, Lechon, Lechon, Victor Manuelle
17. Feliz Navidad, Jose Feliciano
18. Christmastime is Here, Charlie Brown Christmas

El Burrito de Belen is officially the toddler K's favorite Christmas song, and in particular she likes the Juanes version that's on the Superestrellas En Navidad album. She really shakes her hips to it.

Si me ven, si me ven, voy camino de Belen

Tuqui tuqui tuqui tuqui/ tuqui tuqui tuqui ta/ Apurate mi burrito/ que ya vamos a llegar!

Okay, I like it too. I'm not so into the Christmas songs that are just English translations -- like the 'All I Want for Christmas is You' in Spanish. For that, I'll stick to Mariah. Or the young girl from Love Actually. I'm not really a fan of Hugh Grant, the man, but I'm a sucker for most of his movies. Especially this one. And About a Boy. And Four Weddings and a Funeral.