Calendar dates and holidays
Fechas del calendario y festivos
- The basic dates and holidays
- How are dates formed?
Learn to express dates and holidays in Spanish with vocabulary like 'la Navidad' (Christmas) and 'el Año Nuevo' (New Year). Master phrases for talking about calendar days, important festive dates, and planning vacations.
Listening & reading materials
Practice vocabulary in context with real materials.
Vocabulary (13) Share Copied!
Exercises Share Copied!
These exercises can be done together during conversation lessons or as homework.
Exercise 1: Reorder sentences
Instruction: Make correct sentences and translate.
Exercise 2: Match a word
Instruction: Match the translations
Exercise 3: Cluster the words
Instruction: Classify the following words into two categories according to whether they refer to units of time or holidays.
Unidades de tiempo
Días festivos
Exercise 4: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
El mes
The month
2
La Semana Santa
Holy Week
3
Planear
To plan
4
La semana
The week
5
La Navidad
Christmas
Ejercicio 5: Conversation exercise
Instrucción:
- Say the name of the holiday and it's date. (Say the name of the holiday and it's date.)
- What are your plans for the holidays? With whom are you going to spend it? (What are your plans for the holidays? With whom are you going to spend it?)
- What day is today? (What day is today?)
Teaching guidelines +/- 10 minutes
Example phrases:
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Navidad es el veinticinco de diciembre. Christmas is the twenty-fifth of December. |
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Las vacaciones de verano son en julio y agosto. Summer holiday is in July and august. |
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La Pascua siempre cae en otra fecha. Easter is always on another date. |
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Planeo celebrar la Navidad con mi familia. I plan to celebrate christmas with my family. |
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Voy a celebrar el Año Nuevo con mis amigos. I am going to celebrate new year's with my friends. |
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Hoy es catorce de febrero de 2025. Today is the forteenth of february of 2025. |
| ... |
Exercise 6: Dialogue Cards
Instruction: Select a situation and practice the conversation with your teacher or fellow students.
Exercise 7: Multiple Choice
Instruction: Choose the correct solution
1. Cada año ______ mis vacaciones es importante para disfrutar bien del tiempo libre.
(Every year ______ my vacations is important to enjoy free time well.)2. La Navidad ______ el 24 de diciembre por la tarde.
(Christmas ______ on December 24 in the evening.)3. Para planear bien, siempre ______ por las fechas de los días festivos.
(To plan well, I always ______ with the dates of the holidays.)4. Mis amigos y yo ______ juntos el fin de semana para visitar a la familia.
(My friends and I ______ together the weekend to visit family.)Exercise 8: Planning family celebrations on the calendar
Instruction:
Verb Tables
Planear - Planear
Presente
- yo planeo
- tú planeas
- él/ella/usted planea
- nosotros/nosotras planeamos
- vosotros/vosotras planeáis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes planean
Empezar - Empezar
Presente
- yo empiezo
- tú empiezas
- él/ella/usted empieza
- nosotros/nosotras empezamos
- vosotros/vosotras empezáis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes empiezan
Exercise 9: ¿Cómo se forman las fechas?
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
Grammar: How are dates formed?
Show translation Show answers3 de abril, el 25 de diciembre, el 31 de diciembre, el 12 de octubre, El 10 de mayo, el primero de julio, el 15 de septiembre, 5 de junio
Grammar Share Copied!
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Verb conjugation tables for this lesson Share Copied!
Planear to plan Share Copied!
Presente
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) planeo | I plan |
| (tú) planeas | You plan |
| (él/ella) planea | he/ she plans |
| (nosotros/nosotras) planeamos | we plan |
| (vosotros/vosotras) planeáis | You plan |
| (ellos/ellas) planean | they plan |
Empezar to start Share Copied!
Presente
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| (yo) empiezo | I start |
| (tú) empiezas | you start |
| (él/ella) empieza | he/she starts |
| (nosotros/nosotras) empezamos | we start |
| (vosotros/vosotras) empezáis | You start |
| (ellos/ellas) empiezan | they start |
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Lesson Overview: Calendar Dates and Holidays in Spanish
This lesson focuses on understanding how to talk about calendar dates and holidays in Spanish at the beginner (A1) level. You will learn to form dates, use expressions related to time units, and discuss important holidays and events such as el Año Nuevo (New Year's Day) and la Navidad (Christmas). This knowledge is essential for everyday conversations, planning events, and organizing schedules in Spanish.
Key Concepts
- Forming Dates: In Spanish, dates are typically expressed with the day first, followed by the preposition de, then the month (e.g., el 3 de abril means April 3rd).
- Time Units Vocabulary: Words like el año (year), el mes (month), la semana (week), and el fin de semana (weekend) help you talk about different units of time.
- Holidays: Important holidays include el Año Nuevo (January 1st), la Navidad (December 25th), la Nochevieja (New Year’s Eve), and la Semana Santa (Holy Week). Dates often remain consistent annually and are used for planning.
Sample Expressions and Words
- ¿Qué día es hoy en el calendario? – What day is it today on the calendar?
- Las vacaciones empiezan el 15 de junio. – The holidays start on June 15th.
- El fin de semana es el sábado y el domingo. – The weekend is Saturday and Sunday.
- Es el 3 de abril. – It is April 3rd.
Verb Focus: Planear (to plan) and Empezar (to start)
You will practice key verbs frequently used with dates and holidays. For example:
- Planear: yo planeo, tú planeas, él/ella planea, nosotros planeamos, vosotros planeáis, ellos planean
- Empezar: yo empiezo, tú empiezas, él/ella empieza, nosotros empezamos, vosotros empezáis, ellos empiezan
Useful Phrases for Organizing Events
- ¿Cuándo es tu cita médica? – When is your medical appointment?
- Es el viernes, 10 de marzo. – It is Friday, March 10th.
- ¿Puedes venir el 15 de agosto? – Can you come on August 15th?
Comparing English and Spanish Date Expressions
Unlike English where the month is usually mentioned first (e.g., "April 3rd"), Spanish uses the day first followed by the month: el 3 de abril. The article el before the date is required in Spanish. Also, ordinal indicators like 1º (primero) are used for the first day of the month, as in el 1º de enero (January 1st).
Days of the week are commonly included when specifying dates verbally or in writing, such as miércoles, 1 de junio (Wednesday, June 1st).
Important Vocabulary with English Equivalents
- el año – year
- el mes – month
- el día – day
- la semana – week
- el fin de semana – weekend
- el Año Nuevo – New Year's Day
- la Navidad – Christmas
- la Nochevieja – New Year's Eve
This lesson will help you confidently talk about dates and holidays in Spanish, plan your schedule, and understand discussions involving time and celebrations.
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