The month of December at St. Louis High School is filled with many activities and tasks for every class in preparation for the upcoming winter break. In concert band, the students prepare for a Christmas concert and in Woodshop, the class is alive with students scrambling to get toys and wood crafts put together for Christmas activities. One Christmas tradition at SLHS, though, is a particular fan-favorite.

Navidad Madness is a March Madness parody event put on by teacher Bethany Kisser in her Spanish classes each year throughout the entire month of December. In it, students are exposed to two different Spanish commercials each day, and then the class translates the commercial. After the hard work is done, the class votes, and then normal class activities resume. After the end of each day, tallies from each class are put in and one commercial advances forward in the competition.

It’s a fun tradition that Kisser herself looks forward to every year. 

“I do look forward to Navidad Madness,” remarked Kisser. “It’s something fun to do each day leading up to break, and I am always surprised to see which commercials are popular with students. Navidad Madness introduces students to authentic materials from a variety of Spanish-speaking countries, and students really seem to look forward to it.”

Spanish veterans aren’t the only ones who enjoy Navidad Madness. Many freshmen enjoy the commercial competition, and look forward to it as a sign that winter break is in sight!

“Yeah, I’d say I enjoy Navidad Madness,” commented freshman Harley Mader. Mader particularly enjoys the Prime Video commercial and encourages everyone to vote for the Prime Video commercial.

While March Madness is still a few months away, there’s still time to enjoy some ranking competitions at SLHS! Navidad Madness is a staple of Spanish class and a fun activity to enjoy.