STUDENTS from more than 10 educational institutions kicked off the Christmas season by participating in the 10th annual Spanish Carol Service on Tuesday.

The service aims to foster creative expression in the Spanish language while inspiring children from primary to tertiary levels to put their knowledge of Spanish to practical use. The students sing and worship in Spanish, play musical instruments and interact with Spanish speakers.

Performing participants this year included students from the Music House, and Bustamante High School, among others. Scripture and poetry readings in Spanish were delivered by teachers and students from Calabar, Excelsior, Holy Childhood, Meadowbrook, Clan Carthy, St George’s College, Shortwood and the University of Technology, Jamaica.

The carol service is sponsored by The Spanish-Jamaican Foundation (SJF) and organised by Emma June Bell, Errol Haughton and Courtney Taylor, who presented certificates of appreciation to repeat participants. Members of the congregation received devotional Spanish books, donated to the SJF by Food for the Poor, and were exposed to an educational display by the Jamaica Library Service, under this year’s theme: “The Origin of Jamaican Christmas”.