As every year, Paraguayan families set up their Christmas tree on the eighth of December. With 2025 coming to an end, people embrace many traditions for this festive season. The coconut flowers adorn the tree, families gather to assemble the nativity scene, and children often take part in living nativity plays. And, of course, Paraguayan Christmas songs are never missing from these celebrations!
All these traditions are accompanied by classic songs, both Paraguayan and international. Throughout December in Paraguay, you will hear not only global favourites such as Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree, but also local standards such as Navidad del Paraguay and Dos trocitos de madera. The Asuncion Times presents five essential songs for this season, a blend of native creations, and Paraguayan-style covers to enrich your festive playlist.
Dos trocitos de madera
Composed by Félix “Maneco” Galeano in 1970, Dos trocitos de madera (Two small pieces of wood) is one of the most representative songs of Paraguayan Christmas, becoming a classic almost immediately. Galeano, known for his satirical songs and sharp lyrics, sought to capture the spirit of Christmas in the heart of South America. This is why the song blends Spanish and Guaraní, truly carrying Paraguayan culture both in melody and in language.
Fifty-five years later, the song continues to be heard throughout the country. Children and adults sing it like a festive anthem. The title refers to the roof of the stable where Jesus was born. The lyrics evoke a traditional Paraguayan Christmas dinner, mentioning chipa, mbeju, and arroz kesu (cheesy rice).
The chorus lists gifts of watermelon, chipa, little oranges, and bananas, inviting everyone to bring offerings for the baby Jesus. The song celebrates the joy of gathering around the nativity scene on Christmas Eve, in typical Paraguayan fashion. The song’s cultural resonance has made it one of the most cherished Christmas hymns of the country.
Ivan Zavala, a well-known Paraguayan singer, created a modern version that helped reinforce its status as a national Christmas standard.
Navidad del Paraguay
Navidad del Paraguay (Paraguayan Christmas) was originally written as a poem by Argentinian actress Mercedes Jané. The original poem honours the coconut flower, the most iconic symbol of Paraguayan Christmas. Jané lived in Paraguay during the Chaco War and quickly adopted Paraguayan culture as her own. In 1951, while living in Chile and longing deeply for Paraguay, she wrote the poem after believing she had sensed the scent of the coconut flower. Years later, she said it had been nostalgia rather than fragrance.
Esteban Mórabito, a musician and friend of her husband, set the poem to music. This marked the birth of one of the most beloved Paraguayan Christmas songs, rooted in nostalgia, memory, and scent. Johnny Torales sang it for three years, later forming Los 3 Sudamericanos, who popularised the carol across the region.
“Coconut Flower Christmas, Paraguayan Christmas,” the song prays and longs. Fifty years later, Jané was honoured by the Paraguayan Senate and named an Honorary Paraguayan Citizen for her artistic contribution.
Purahéi Soul released a modern version to reach new audiences, ensuring that the coconut blossom will remain a symbol for at least another century.
Repican las campanas (Din din don)
The equivalent of Repican las campanas would be Jingle Bells, composed in the nineteenth century. As one of the most famous carols ever sung, it naturally has a Spanish version. In Paraguay, it was also translated into Guaraní, confirming its status not only as an international carol but as a deeply rooted Christmas song in the country.
Perhaps the best-known version in Paraguay is sung by Los 3 Sudamericanos. However, numerous orchestras, choirs, and bands have created their own arrangements, making it one of the most frequently performed carols in the country.
Silent Night
Silent Night is one of the most widely known Christmas carols in the world. Composed by Austrian musicians in 1818, it reached Latin America through European immigration as well as through church choirs and festive celebrations. In Paraguay, it is performed both with lyrics and as an instrumental piece. The Three Paraguayans even made a version in Guarani.
Children learn it in schools and during masses, making it an essential part of Paraguayan Christmas identity. Guitarist Berta Rojas created a beautiful rendition with Paraguayan group Tekove in their album Paraguayan Christmas, updating the classic to connect with younger listeners.
Honourable mention: Faltan 5´ pa las 12
It is five minutes to twelve o’clock is a classic Latin American song about the arrival of the New Year. The singer wishes to leave the party to embrace his mother before midnight. Despite being a New Year song, it is also widely heard during the Christmas season.
It was reinterpreted in Paraguay by Daniel Patiño, an Argentinian artist who spent years performing in bars across Asunción. His version gave the song a more festive and Christmas-like feel. In 2022, the group Néstor Ló y Los Caminantes created a modern take that preserved the song’s emotional essence, capturing that universal end-of-year sentiment: the desire to hug one’s mother on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
A festive soundtrack that brings us together
These songs do more than accompany December. The tracks evoke memories, traditions, and the unmistakable warmth of Paraguayan Christmas. Whether heard at family gatherings, school events, or Christmas Eve celebrations, the songs remind Paraguayans of what truly matters at this time of the year. These songs are melodies that unite generations, year after year, under the glow of the coconut flower and the spirit of celebration.
