The Novena de Aguinaldos is the great Christmas tradition of Colombia, also prayed in Ecuador and parts of Venezuela, and among families from those countries living in the United States. For nine days, from December 16 to 24, families, neighbors, and coworkers gather before the nativity scene to pray and sing as they wait for the birth of Jesus. Here you will find the order of the novena, an English version of the traditional prayers, and a short meditation for each day. The traditional text is in Spanish, and this English translation is our own, so it may differ from other versions.
How to pray the Novena de Aguinaldos
One person leads and the others respond. It is common to take turns reading, so that children can take part too. This is the order for each day:
- Sign of the Cross.
- Prayer for every day, with three Glory Bes.
- Reflection of the day.
- Prayer to the Blessed Virgin, with three Hail Marys.
- Prayer to Saint Joseph, with an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be.
- The gozos, sung or recited.
- Prayer to the Child Jesus.
- Family petitions and carols.
Afterward, people usually share natilla, buñuelos, rice pudding, or cookies. Often a different family prepares each day.
Prayer for every day
Most kind God of infinite charity, you so loved humankind that you gave us in your Son the greatest pledge of your love, so that, made man in the womb of a Virgin, he might be born in a manger for our health and healing. In the name of all people, I give you infinite thanks for so sovereign a gift.
In return, I offer you the poverty, humility, and other virtues of your Son made man, and I beg you, by his divine merits, by the hardships in which he was born, and by the tender tears he shed in the manger, to prepare our hearts with deep humility, with burning love, and with such detachment from all earthly things that the newborn Jesus may have his cradle in them and dwell there forever. Amen.
Pray the Glory Be three times.
Reflection for each day
Traditional editions contain a long reflection for each day. Here is a short meditation on the same theme, with a Scripture passage you can read together.
Day 1 (December 16): the eternal Son of the Father. Before being born in Bethlehem, Jesus had always existed with the Father (Jn 1:1-14). The Child we await is the same God through whom all things were made. Lord, teach us to be amazed that you chose to come to us.
Day 2 (December 17): Mary's yes. In the house at Nazareth, the angel brings God's message to Mary, and she answers with trust (Lk 1:26-38). God does not impose himself: he asks. Lord, give us a willing heart to say yes to you.
Day 3 (December 18): God becomes small. The Son of God takes a body and a soul like ours, like us in all things but sin (Phil 2:6-8). Nothing human is foreign to him. Lord, may we respect in every person the dignity you have given them.
Day 4 (December 19): the obedience of Jesus. From his mother's womb, Jesus lives entirely given to the Father's will (Heb 10:5-7). His whole life is a yes. Lord, help us accept what we did not choose and seek what you want in all things.
Day 5 (December 20): Mary's waiting. Mary carries Jesus in silence, prays, serves her cousin Elizabeth, and gives thanks to God (Lk 1:39-56). This is how to wait for God: quietly, and helping those in need. Mother, teach us your recollection amid the rush of these days. You can also pray the Magnificat.
Day 6 (December 21): on the way to Bethlehem. A decree from the emperor forces Joseph and Mary onto the road, and so what the prophet announced about Bethlehem is fulfilled (Mi 5:1; Lk 2:1-5). God also acts through what looks like a setback. Lord, may we see your hand in what changes our plans.
Day 7 (December 22): the journey of the Holy Family. Mary, about to give birth, and Joseph travel a long and tiring road (Lk 2:4-5). They carry the Savior of the world without anyone knowing. Lord, accompany those who travel weary today, migrants, and those who do not know where they will end up.
Day 8 (December 23): no room at the inn. Joseph knocks on the doors of Bethlehem and no one opens (Lk 2:7). It is not easy to make room for Jesus among so many things today either. Lord, do not let our hearts be so full that there is no room for you or for others.
Day 9 (December 24): the birth. At night, in a poor place outside the town, Jesus is born, and the first to know are some shepherds (Lk 2:6-14). God comes without power and without noise. Lord Jesus, welcome: be born tonight in our home too.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin
Sovereign Mary, by your great virtues, and above all by your humility, you merited that God himself should choose you as his mother. I beg you to prepare and dispose my soul, and the souls of all who make this novena at this time, for the spiritual birth of your beloved Son.
O sweetest Mother, share with me something of the deep recollection and divine tenderness with which you awaited him, so that you may make us less unworthy to see him, love him, and adore him for all eternity. Amen.
Pray three Hail Marys. The oldest editions had nine.
Prayer to Saint Joseph
O most holy Joseph, spouse of Mary and adoptive father of Jesus! I give infinite thanks to God for choosing you for such high ministries and adorning you with all the gifts suited to so excellent a greatness.
I beg you, by the love you had for the Divine Child, to set me on fire with fervent desires to see him and receive him sacramentally, until I see him and enjoy him in his divine essence in heaven. Amen.
Pray an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be.
The gozos
The gozos are the most joyful moment of the novena. They are sung in Spanish, verse by verse, and after each verse everyone repeats a refrain asking the Child to come soon to our souls. You can find them in any novena booklet, and many parishes hand them out in print.
Their verses are inspired by the ancient O Antiphons, which the Church prays in the last days of Advent. Each calls Jesus by an Old Testament title:
- Wisdom of the Most High God.
- Adonai, the Lord who spoke to Moses.
- Root of Jesse, of the family of David.
- Key of David, who opens the door of our prison.
- Dayspring, who shines on those in darkness.
- King of the nations and Emmanuel, God with us.
Prayer to the Child Jesus
Remember, O sweetest Child Jesus, that you said to the Venerable Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament, and in her person to all your devotees, these words so consoling to our poor, burdened, and suffering humanity: "Whatever you wish to ask, ask it through the merits of my infancy, and nothing will be refused you."
Full of confidence in you, O Jesus, who are truth itself, we come to lay before you all our misery. Help us to lead a holy life, so as to attain a blessed eternity. Grant us, by the infinite merits of your incarnation and your infancy, the grace we so greatly need.
We give ourselves to you, O all-powerful Child, sure that our hope will not be disappointed, and that by virtue of your divine promise you will receive and favorably grant our prayer. Amen.
Here each person may say their petitions aloud: for the family, for the sick, for those far away, and for the coming year.
Where the Novena de Aguinaldos comes from
The novena was written in the eighteenth century by Fray Fernando de Jesús Larrea, a Franciscan born in Quito in 1700, who preached in Ecuador and Colombia. According to tradition, he wrote it at the request of Clemencia de Jesús Caycedo, foundress of the Colegio de La Enseñanza in Bogotá. Sources do not agree on the date of the first edition.
More than a century later, a religious sister of La Enseñanza, Mother María Ignacia (Bertilda Samper Acosta), revised the text and added the gozos. That is the version that has come down to us. Editions with updated language and with biblical texts in place of the old reflections also circulate today.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Novena de Aguinaldos prayed? From December 16 to 24. The last day is Christmas Eve.
What is the difference between the Novena de Aguinaldos and Las Posadas? Both prepare for Christmas during the same nine nights. The Novena de Aguinaldos belongs to Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, and is prayed before the nativity scene. Las Posadas, from Mexico and Central America, recall Mary and Joseph asking for lodging, with a procession and piñata.
What does "aguinaldos" mean? Aguinaldos are the Christmas gifts of the season. In many homes, candy or presents are given to the children after the prayers.
Does a priest have to lead it? No. It is a devotion for families and communities, and anyone can lead it, including a child who can read.
What if I cannot pray the whole novena? Pray what you can. What matters is gathering, reading the reflection of the day, and asking the Child to come to your home.
Keep praying through Christmas
The last day of the novena leads into our Christmas prayers, including the prayer for placing the Baby Jesus in the manger. And to begin earlier, see the Advent wreath prayers.