-- Posted by WickedWiccan at 2:58 am on Jan. 1, 2009 I know it's long and you don't have to read if you don't want to but I can't explain Christmas in Puerto Rico any other way lol. Misa de Aguinaldo is a Catholic Mass that is almost completely a song service. Aguinaldos are sung and the musical instruments used are the traditional cuatro (Puerto Rican guitar), guitars, güiros, and maracas. Misas de Aguinaldo are held for nine consecutive days ending on the day before Christmas Eve. The mass is held at dawn (usually at 6am). Misa de Gallo is a Misa de Aguinaldo held at midnight on Christmas Eve. It is a very solemn but festive mass often including carolers, children dressed as angels and nativity characters, and lots of candles. Many families attend this festive and beautiful mass as a tradition. Nochebuena is Christmas Eve (December 24th). In Puerto Rico, as well as other Latin American countries, the big holiday celebration is held on Nochebuena. Family and friends get together for a festivities and traditional foods of lechón asado and pasteles. The parties often last till morning. On Christmas Day people rest from Nochebuena. Navidad is Christmas Day (December 25th). Most Puerto Rican families celebrate with Santa on this day. Homes are decorated much like in the mainland but include a lot of palm trees and their branches. Families set up "nacimientos" or "pesebres" (manger scenes). The Three Wise Men or Los Reyes are prominent in the pesebres. Día de los Inocentes (Day of the Innocent) falls on December 28th. This feast is celebrated in town squares much like a carnival, where men dressed as the "evil soldiers of Herod" go house to house, "kidnapping" the first-born boy from every family. To recover their children, the families offer the soldiers gifts and candly. Parrandas is Christmas caroling Puerto Rican style. Friends gather late in the evening to go from one house to the next singing traditional songs. The parranderos must surprise the unsuspecting friendS and wake them with their music. The home owner has already given plenty of "hints" that he is prepared to receive a parranda. The parranderos gather outside the front door and at a signal the musicians play and the rest sing. At each house they stop for a while and party, then they go to the next house. At each stop the owners of the house join the parranda and it grows in numbers during the evening. Víspera de Reyes is the eve of El Día de Reyes (January 5th). Traditional Catholics meet to pray the rosary and to honor the three Wise Men (saints in the Catholic faith). The children get ready to receive gifts from the three Wise Men by collecting freshly cut grass to put in a shoe box for the Wise Men's camels to eat. Día de Reyes is on January 6th. This is much like Christmas on the mainland. Children wake up much too early to check out what Baltazar, Melchor, and Gaspar left them. Family and friends gather to celebrate. January 6th - Saint Gaspar's Day of Feast January 7th - Saint Melchor's Day of Feast January 8th - Saint Baltazar's Day of Feast Octavas and Octavitas - on January 9th (after the last of the Kings days) and last for eight days. Originally these were more religious in nature and were used to glorify the Reyes and the Christ child. Coplas were dedicated to the magi. Octavitas begin right after the Octavas and are eight more days of continued celebration. These are a prelude to la Cuaresma (lent). Traditional Christmas Foods - The main dish is usually roast pork served along with arroz con gandules, plátanos, and pasteles. Pasteles are made using mashed green bananas the dough is filled with meat and is wrapped in the leaves of the banana tree. Holiday desserts include "arroz con dulce" (rice cooked with spices, sugar, milk, and coconut milk) and "tembleque" (a custard made with cornstarch, sugar, and coconut milk). They are eaten cold, when its consistency becomes solid. The nougat, imported from Spain, is another popular sweet dish during the Holidays. Coquito is the traditional holiday beverage and is made using coconut milk and rum. A roast pig on a spit, called "lechón asao," is a traditional day long event that can be done anytime during the Christmas holidays. The Holidays include New Year's Eve. -- Posted by Fouad at 2:59 am on Jan. 1, 2009 you wrote that or is it copy pasted? -- Posted by Arrow at 2:59 am on Jan. 1, 2009 thats cool. -- Posted by sadnessness at 2:59 am on Jan. 1, 2009 January 6th should be Epiphany no? -- Posted by that dude 16 at 3:00 am on Jan. 1, 2009 Sounds.... interesting. -- Posted by Blue23 at 3:00 am on Jan. 1, 2009 I didnt know about that. -- Posted by WickedWiccan at 3:02 am on Jan. 1, 2009 Quote: from fouad at 6:59 am on Jan. 1, 2009 you wrote that or is it copy pasted? Half and half. Some of the things in the site were wrong so I corrected them. -- Posted by WickedWiccan at 3:03 am on Jan. 1, 2009 Quote: from sadnessness at 6:59 am on Jan. 1, 2009 January 6th should be Epiphany no? Yes it is. -- Posted by KathyN at 2:45 pm on Jan. 2, 2009 Interesting. If I were a Christian I'd write something about Pravoslav traditions in the new year's eve... I like reading about traditions, and learning new things. :) Happy New Year!!!