The Christmas season in Puerto Rico lasts more than a month, with carols sung and lights lit up the streets from December to January.
Christmas, Navidad in Puerto Rico, extends beyond Dec. 25.
The island proudly proclaims itself to have “the longest holiday season in the world,” according to the Discover Puerto Rico website.
On average, Puerto Rico’s holiday celebrations last about 45 days, according to each source, starting just after Thanksgiving, and continuing until mid-January.
HOW TO SAY ‘MERRY CHRISTMAS’ IN 10 LANGUAGES TO FRIENDS AROUND THE WORLD
The holiday season in Puerto Rico is filled with rich traditions that families love.
One tradition those visiting Puerto Rico will quickly notice during the holiday season is the decorations.
In Puerto Rico, decorations are usually put up by Thanksgiving, and kept until the season ends in mid-January, with photo-worthy moments around every corner.
Parandas, Christmas caroling, are a staple of the holidays.
17 FALL AND WINTER SECRET TRAVEL TIPS THAT ARE NOT SO SECRET
Motorists choose the houses of family and friends to visit, usually starting around 10 p.m., singing aguinaldos (traditional Christmas carols), not only with their voices, but often with instruments, according to Discover Puerto Rico.
The band you start singing with is probably not the band you end up with.
In Puerto Rico, when singers visit a house, they often stop inside to chat, eat and drink before moving on to the next residence.
Usually, the residences of the house visited will join the group of the next house, according to Discover Puerto Rico.
CHRISTMAS TREES IN GERMANY WERE DECORATED WITH AHULAS INSTEAD OF HEADS IN THE 1600S FOR ‘ADAM AND EVE’S DAY’
Nights of heartbreaking lovers can last for a long time, often extending into the early hours of the next day, according to the source.
The biggest day of the holiday season in Puerto Rico isn’t actually Christmas, but rather, the night before.
In Puerto Rico, December 24 is Nochebuena. On that day, loved ones gather to exchange gifts, caroling and feast.
Many families will also attend midnight Mass on this day, known as the Misa de Gallo.
FLIGHT ARRIVALS REVEAL WONDERFUL DAYS OF TRAVEL AHEAD OF THE CHRISTMAS RUSH
After Christmas has passed, the festivities continue in Puerto Rico.
Another major event on the holiday list is Three Kings Day on Jan. 6, a holiday that “commemorates the visit that the Three Wise Men paid to Jesus after his birth,” according to Discover Puerto Rico.
The night before the day, the children fill a shoebox with grass that will be left for the camels to eat while the Three Kings leave them gifts, according to PuertoRico.com.
On the day of the Three Kings festivities, Juana DÃaz is the place to go, as it hosts the largest celebration in Puerto Rico of this holiday. In Juana DÃaz, there is an annual festival and parade in honor of Three Kings Day that brings together more than 25,000 people every year, according to Discover Puerto Rico.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
Then, eight days later it’s Octavitas, a post-holiday celebration where families get together and celebrate the last of the season.
The end of the holiday season is marked by the San Sebastián Street Festival.
The festival, which lasts several days, takes place in Old San Juan, and is full of live music, dancing, shopping and parades.
Source link