40 Days Puerto Rican Festive
Puerto Ricans are American citizens but also have their own unique history, culture, and traditions - especially during the holiday season. From the unique dishes and beverages served during Christmas to the length of the festive period, Puerto Ricans love to celebrate the holidays in their own way. As someone with family on the island who regularly visits, I can confidently say that Puerto Rico's holiday celebrations are unlike any other. To illustrate this, I have compiled a list of some of the most popular customs observed during the holiday season in Puerto Rico.
Coquito is a traditional holiday beverage in Puerto Rico.
Coquito is a beverage that resembles eggnog in appearance but is made with distinct spices and ingredients.
During the holiday season in Puerto Rico, enjoying a cold cup of coquito is a tradition. This beverage has various ingredients, including raw eggs, three types of milk, cinnamon, cloves, and rum. While recipes may differ from family to family, coquito is typically served chilled. It has a similar beige colour to eggnog but is much thicker and sweeter, thanks to sugar and condensed milk. The drink can be refrigerated for up to eight weeks, which means Puerto Ricans can savour a single batch throughout the holiday season.
"Lechon asado" is a well-liked dish typically served during the festive season. It refers to a whole roasted pork.
Lechon Asado is a traditional dish that consists of a whole roast pork. It is a popular food item commonly served during the holiday season.
A traditional Puerto Rican Christmas dinner is not complete without a serving of roast pork, locally known as "lechon asado". When roasted traditionally on a spit, the meat is succulent, flavorful, and has perfectly crisp skin, making it delicious. Usually, the pork is served with rice, beans, and pastels, another Christmas staple in Puerto Rico.
Some Puerto Ricans eat 12 grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve for good luck.
The grape-eating tradition originated in Spain.
Eating 12 grapes during the last 12 seconds of the year is a tradition some Puerto Ricans follow to celebrate New Year's Eve. This unique custom originates from Spain and is celebrated in a few other Latin American countries. There are different theories behind the origins of the custom. One suggests that farmers in Alicante, Spain, created this idea in the early 1900s to eliminate their surplus grapes. However, others believe this tradition was started decades before in Madrid by the middle class, who adopted the French New Year's Eve custom of sipping champagne and nibbling grapes.
Some people believe that cleaning their house on either New Year's Eve or the following day can bring them success.
In Puerto Rico, cleaning the house on New Year's Day is a tradition.
According to Discover Puerto Rico, some Puerto Ricans have a custom of thoroughly cleaning their homes before or the day after New Year's Eve. The travel guide recommends this custom to start the year positively and set the tone for the 12 months.
"Parranda" is a Puerto Rican holiday tradition where people spontaneously visit someone's home to sing and play music.
Parrandas usually occur unexpectedly or without prior planning.
Parranda is a tradition that involves singing, similar to Christmas carolling, but with some differences. Parranda songs are more upbeat than carolling and have no religious association, accompanied by live music from instruments such as guitars, tambourines, and maracas.
What makes a parranda unique is that it happens spontaneously. A group of people will choose a friend or family member's house to visit unannounced at night, wake them up with live music and songs, and encourage them to join in. The group then visits another person's home, continuing the surprises until the early morning hours.
On the night before Three Kings Day, it is a tradition for children to leave grass or hay under their beds.
In Puerto Rico, there is a gifting tradition called Three Kings Day.
January 6 marks the celebration of Three Kings Day, which commemorates the visit of the three wise men to Jesus after his birth. In Puerto Rico, this holiday is particularly dear to children who believe that the wise men visit them the night before the big day. In preparation, the children place a box of fresh grass under their beds as food for the camels that the wise men ride. As a result, they receive gifts in return.
The Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián marks the end of the holiday season in Puerto Rico and takes place in late January.
SanSe is an annual festival celebrated in Puerto Rico's capital, San Juan, on January 20.
Las Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, or SanSe, is a multi-day celebration in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, every year at the end of January. It marks the end of the holiday season in Puerto Rico, which is longer than festivities in the US, ending after New Year's Eve. During SanSe, locals, visitors, and Puerto Ricans living elsewhere return to the colourful, cobblestone-lined streets of Old San Juan wearing traditional attire. They sing, dance, listen to live music and drink a few.
