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belén

nativity scene

noun beh-LEN Rare
Arts & Culture Traditions

Origin: From Bethlehem, the biblical birthplace of Jesus.

Also means

chaos

Usage Note

Belén (also written with a capital letter as the place name Bethlehem) in lower case refers to a Christmas nativity scene, a tradition especially strong in Spain. Colloquially un belén means a chaotic situation or a mess — ¡menudo belén! ('what a mess!'). Note the written accent on the final syllable.

Examples

"Los niños armaron el belén en diciembre."

Natural Translation

The children set up the nativity scene in December.

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