Puerto Rico Holidays by Colin McDuffie

Week 1, Basic Overview

colinmcduffie084 — 2023-12-08 21:31:02 UTC

Puerto Rico is an unclaimed Caribbean Island held by the United States Government. Its landscape can range from rainforest, to beaches, to large mountain ranges. The capital city of Puerto Rico is San Juan, a seaside city with a large quantity of historical sites. Those historical sites usually include cathedrals and old Spanish fortresses. Puerto Rico is also home to the El Yunque tropical rainforest, a large rainforest full of waterfalls and wildlife. The national animal of Puerto Rico is the conqui, a small tree frog (El Yunque National Forest, U.S. Forest Service).

Week 2 Different Holidays

colinmcduffie084 — 2023-12-08 21:31:31 UTC

Puerto Rico has many different holidays, ranging from public holidays to religious holidays. Puerto Rico has the longest holiday season in the world, lasting total of 45 days after Thanksgiving. One of the most important holidays to Puerto Rico is Christmas Eve or Nochebuena. "This is the night where family and friends gather for a traditional dinner, exchange gifts, go out on parrandas, or take a drive to enjoy the Christmas decorations around town" (https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/holiday-traditions-puerto-rico). Another holiday important to Puerto Rico is Three Kings Day. A day to celebrate the three people who visited Jesus on the day of his birth, it takes place on January 6th. "For over 135 years, the town of Juana Díaz has celebrated a festival and parade that gathers over 25,000 people for the occasion" (https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/holiday-traditions-puerto-rico).

Week 3, Flavors of the Holidays

colinmcduffie084 — 2023-12-08 21:31:46 UTC

There are many flavors based on the holidays in Puerto Rico. A classic Puerto Rico menu includes many different main dishes. These include arroz can gandules, a rice dish with pigeon peas, lechón asado, a spit roasted pork dish, and pasteles, a tamale like dish with meat and green bananas. There are also many different side dishes, potato salad, pasta salad, and morcilla, a rice stuffed blood sausage. There is also a traditional desert, "the Christmas dessert is tembleque, a coconut-based pudding topped with cinnamon" (https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/article/holiday-traditions-puerto-rico). There is also a traditional drink called coquito, made from coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, spices, and rum.

Week 4, Comparison

colinmcduffie084 — 2023-12-08 21:31:55 UTC

Puerto Rico and the United States differ in how they celebrate the holidays. Mainly in how they celebrate Christmas. In the United States it is more common for families to wake up early on the 25th of December, open gifts, go to church, and spend the day with family. In Puerto Rico, it is common for people to eat dinner, open gifts, and go around and look at decorations on the 24th. Also in Puerto Rico, it is common for churches to have a nighttime service on the 24th.