There is a way to arrive at Christmas Eve quite unlike the rush of stress and last-minute shopping: preparing the heart, day by day, during the preceding nine days. The Christmas novena is one of Advent's most endearing traditions, that prayed countdown that gathers entire families around the Nativity scene to await the birth of the Child God. Nine days, nine evenings, a single shared hope: that Jesus may be born within us as well. How is it prayed, and where does this cherished custom come from?
Historical Context: Nine Days to Prepare the Manger
The number nine is no coincidence: novenas evoke the nine months the Child waited in Mary's womb, and those nine days encompass the joyful expectation of all of Advent. The Christmas novena is traditionally prayed from December 16 to 24, culminating on Christmas Eve.
The version most widespread in the Spanish-speaking world is the so-called "Novena de Aguinaldos", whose main text is attributed to Friar Fernando de Jesús Larrea, an 18th-century Franciscan. From Hispanic America it spread everywhere, and today many adaptations coexist — novenas to the Infant Jesus, shorter family novenas — that share the same structure: an opening prayer repeated each day, a daily reflection, sung "gozos" (rejoicings), and petitions to the Child, Our Lady, and Saint Joseph.
Beyond custom, the novena has deep theological roots: it celebrates the central mystery of the faith, the Incarnation. "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14). Preparing for Christmas is not just decorating the home, but disposing the soul to welcome God who becomes a child.
How to Pray the Christmas Novena
Each of the nine days follows this outline, before the Nativity scene or an image of the Child:
1. Oración para todos los días (se repite cada jornada):
«Benignísimo Dios de infinita caridad, que tanto amaste a los hombres que les diste en tu Hijo la prenda de tu amor, para que, hecho hombre en las purísimas entrañas de una Virgen, naciese en un pesebre para nuestra salud y remedio: infunde en nosotros un vivísimo deseo de prepararnos, como conviene, para celebrar dignamente su nacimiento; concédenos las virtudes que él nos enseñó en el portal, para que, imitándole, merezcamos gozar eternamente de su gloria. Amén.»
2. Consideración del día (una breve lectura o meditación propia de cada jornada).
3. Gozos (se cantan o recitan, con el estribillo):
«Dulce Jesús mío, mi Niño adorado, / ven a nuestras almas, ven, no tardes tanto.»
4. Oración al Niño Jesús, a la Virgen María y a san José, y peticiones de la familia.
We do not reproduce here the official version of this prayer in your language because we do not know it with certainty; this is the Spanish text. The Latin original, which is indeed common to all languages, appears below.
Reflection and Meaning: Making Room for the One Who Comes
The novena is not a countdown like a commercial calendar. It is interior preparation. Each day places us before a simple question: is there room in my life for the One who is coming, or is everything "full," like at the inn in Bethlehem?
Why Prepare for Nine Days If Jesus Was Born Centuries Ago?
Because Christmas is not merely a remembrance, but a coming that is renewed. Advent liturgy teaches us to await Christ in three times: the One born in Bethlehem, the One who will come at the end, and the One who wishes to be born today in every heart. The novena precisely trains that third expectation: "Prepare the way of the Lord" (Matthew 3:3). Nine days give time to sweep out the interior inn.
"Come, Do Not Delay": The Heart of the Refrain
The gozos repeat an almost childlike supplication: "come, do not delay." It is the cry of all Advent, which the Church makes her own with the ancient acclamation "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20). Singing it as a family, beside the manger, teaches children — and reminds adults — that Christmas is not about receiving, but about waiting for Someone.
A Prayer to Pray as a Family
The novena is perhaps the domestic prayer par excellence: it is prayed at home, out loud, sharing the readings between young and old. It does not require knowing theology, but coming together. If you cannot reach the nine days, start with as many as you can; if you cannot find the full text, this opening prayer and the gozos are enough. The important thing is to put God back at the center of dates that so often leave Him out. May the Child find room when Christmas Eve arrives.
Nine Days, and Why Nine
The Christmas novena runs from December 16 to 24, and the number is not arbitrary: nine are the months of gestation, so each day represents a month of expectation. That is the logic of any Marian or Advent novena, and the Christmas one is the most literal of all.
The reference is Lk 2:1-14.
It coincides with the privileged feria days of Advent, when the liturgy changes tone and begins to look directly toward the birth. It also coincides with the "O" Antiphons — O Wisdom, O Adonai, O Root — which the Church sings on those same days at Vespers.
In many Latin American countries it is prayed at home and as a family, with carols between the prayers; in Spain it is more common in parishes.
How to Pray It
- From December 16 to 24, one day for each month of expectation.
- As a family and before the Nativity scene, which is where the novena has its natural home.
- With the "O" Antiphons of Vespers, if one wishes to link it with the liturgy of those days.
You may also be interested in the Hail Mary, the Magnificat, blessing the table.
In the store: personalized candle holders, saint mugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Christmas novena begin?
On December 16, and it ends on the 24th. Nine days, one for each month of gestation.
Why are there nine days?
Because they represent the nine months of expectation. It is the logic of any novena, and in the Christmas one it is especially literal.
Is it prayed at home or in the parish?
Both. In Latin America it is primarily domestic and familial, with carols; in Spain it is more frequent in parishes.
What are the "O" Antiphons?
Seven antiphons that the Church sings at Vespers from December 17 to 23, each beginning with "O": Wisdom, Adonai, Root, Key, Dawn, King, Emmanuel.
Sources
- Sacred Scripture: John 1:14; Matthew 3:3; Luke 2:1-14; Revelation 22:20.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, nn. 522-526 (the mysteries of Jesus' childhood; Advent).
- Novena de Aguinaldos, attributed to Friar Fernando de Jesús Larrea (18th c.); Advent tradition.
About the Author
This article is part of "Christian Prayers and Devotions", the series by Productos Religiosos dedicated to rediscovering the treasure of Catholic prayer. We write from faith and with rigor, always turning to Scripture, the Catechism, and the living tradition of the Church, so that every prayer may once again be what it has always been: an encounter with God.
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