It’s the night before Christmas and, for the first time in three years, I’m spending it with family in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Christmas tree lot has been visited, a Douglas Fir has been purchased (albeit half the size of years past due to extreme sticker shock), four generations of ornaments have been brought down from the attic, the tree decorated, and stockings hung on the mantle. I love being in my childhood home with family but must admit to missing the resumption of Noche de Rabanos on the zócalo of Oaxaca city and posadas in my Jalatlaco neighborhood.
However, all thoughts of festivities in Oaxaca will take a back door to hosting our Christmas morning tradition of mimosas and æbleskiver (Danish pancake balls) with family and friends, followed by a prime rib with Yorkshire pudding dinner served on my grandmother’s beautiful Lenox china and using my mother’s sterling silverware. And, warming my heart the most, the good natured teasing, laughing, and hugging shared with family and old friends.
However, no matter where I am, today is time for my blog’s Christmas Eve’s Pancho Claus tradition…
La Noche Before Christmas
’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the casa,
Not a creature was stirring, My goodness! ¿Qué pasa?
The children were all tucked away in their camas,
The girls in their sleepers, the boys in piyamas.
The stockings were hung, with mucho cuidado,
In hopes that old Santa would feel obligado,
To bring all the children, both buenos y malos,
Muchísimo candy, and other regalos.
When out in the yard there arose tanto grito,
That I jumped to my feet like a scaredy-gatito.
I ran to the window and looked out afuera,
And who in the world do you think that it era?
Saint Nick on his sleigh in a big red sombrero,
Came dashing toward me like a loco bombero.
And pulling his sleigh, instead of venados,
Were eight little burros venir-ing volados!
I watched as they came and this kindhearted hombre,
Was whistling and shouting and calling por nombre:
“¡Ay Pancho, ay Cisco, ay Chuy, ay Flaco!”
“¡Ay Bella, Estrella, Chiquita y Paco!”
Then he jumped off his sleigh with his hands on his pecho,
After landing on top of our very own techo.
And struggling to squeeze down our old chimenea,
He bounced off the hearth like a bowl of jalea.
Now huffing and puffing at last in our sala,
With soot smeared all over his vestido de gala,
He filled all the stockings with buenos regalos,
For none of the niños had been muy malos.
Then chuckling aloud feeling muy contento,
He turned in a flash and was gone like el viento.
And I heard him exclaim, y es la verdad,
“Merry Christmas to all, y ¡Feliz Navidad!”
***Inspired by the poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” by Clement C. Moore, 1822, and by the original song and lyrics “Pancho Claus” by Lalo Guerrero, 1956 (with permission from the estate of Lalo Guerrero). Conceived of and written as “The Noche Before Christmas”, (date/author/copyright uncertain, c. 1956-2001?). This revision by Bill Stryker and Norma Verdugo Stryker, 2019 (Copyright Registration Number TXu002156234) was introduced on my last year’s La Noche Before Christmas blog.
For an added treat, the original 1956 “Pancho Claus” recording by Lalo Guerrero.
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