The holidays are full of Christmas Festivals all over the island. Puerto Rico boasts having the “longest Christmas in the world”. Celebrations begin the first of November and last until just about the end of January. The final all out celebration is the San Sebastian festival, the largest in Puerto Rico with over 700,000 people over 4 days. Music, food and drink and artisans are featured at most festivals. Some are dedicated to food such as Coffee Festival in Maricao (15 – 16 Nov.) and the Festival del Ñame y Carne Frita (Yam and fried pork) in Villalba (21- 23 Nov.)
November Music Festivals
There are Christmas Festivals dedicated to music genres such as Bomba, Plena and Salsa on Nov. 23 in the Amelia Waterfront in Guaynabo and the festival Color Caribe in Dorado (28 to 30 Nov.) features rock, indie and reggae mixed with muralists and art.
November 30th and December 14th-Traditional Puerto Rican Life Festivals
One of the more interesting festivals is the Lagrimas del Monte Festival at Hacienda Doña Fela the 30th of November. Lágrimas del Monte or Mountain Tears is another name for Puerto Rican Pitorro or moonshine. This festival takes places in Hatillo in a recreated 1950’s mountain village complete with barbershop and country store. You get to see what life was like 70 years ago on the island and probably taste some high proof Tears during your visit.
Another Puerto Rican country life festival is the Jíbaro Festival the 14th of December in Quebradillas. Jíbaros are the people who live up in the mountains or the central region of the Island. Here you’ll experience typical jíbaro dress, music, food and customs.
November 21 – 26- Taino Indian Festival, Jayuya
Jayuya in the center of Puerto Rico holds the Festival Indigena or Taíno Indian Festival from the 21st to the 23rd of November. The festival features a variety of cultural, educational, and recreational activities for all ages. You can enjoy traditional music, folk dances, handicrafts, typical food, and a variety of cultural presentations. One of the festival’s most striking features is the recreation of a traditional Taino village. Visitors can learn about the customs and traditions of the Tainos, see how they lived, worked, and ate.
December 6-7- Artisans, music and more La Feria en Cataño
One of the largest Christmas Festivals will be held bayside in Cataño, December 6th and 7th just across from Old San Juan. La Feria en Cataño is sponsored by Bacardí who has their distillery just minutes away. Hundreds of artisans will have their wares on display and the stage will have live music starting at midday. On Sunday the musical offerings begin with a traditional troubadour or trovador competition where improvisation is key. There will be plenty of food and drink offerings and you get to stroll along the largest promenade in the metro area. Since parking sometimes gets complicated it’s easiest and more picturesque to take the ferry across from Old San Juan. It docks very close to the action.
December 28th- Hatillo Mask Festival
If you’re into wild celebrations, Hatillo holds the annual Festival de las Máscaras or Mask Festival on December 28th, el Día de los Inocentes, or Innocents Day. This custom originated in the Canary Islands and first celebrated in Puerto Rico in 1823. According to the bible, on the days following Christmas, King Herod sent his soldiers out to pursue any child under two believing Jesus could be among them.
Over the millennia, in some cultures this day became a day where people play jokes on each other. These two traditions combined in Puerto Rico’s version of the celebration. Comparsas or groups dressed up in wild, colorful costumes represent Herod’s soldiers. They go house to house “chasing” children and playing pranks on each other such as spraying shaving cream and more. They ride in homemade, extravagantly stylized “chariots” or modified jeeps and trailers that even perform wheelies while filled with people. The comparsas have names and can take on cartoon characters or anime personalities as their mascot. It’s a riot of color, sirens, music and just a touch of chaos.
The Comparsas begin their rounds early in the morning around 7 am and the official parade starts close to 1:00 pm.
January 6th- Three Kings Day in Juana Díaz
Puerto Rico is blessed with two main Christmas celebrations. Christmas Day and Three Kings Day on January 6th. The Christmas holiday came over with the United States. Three Kings Day is a traditional Spanish holiday celebrated for centuries. Juana Díaz in the south hosts the largest Three Kings festival dedicated to this European tradition. The activities begin January 4th and culminate the 6th with the Three Kings riding on horseback to the town’s church for a communal mass. This Christmas Festival began in 1884 with a recreation of the king’s arrival in Bethlehem and the presentation of their gifts to baby Jesus.
For this popular event thousands of people descend on the small town from the early hours to witness the three specially chosen wise men dressed in elaborate costumes. The procession begins at the Three Kings Museum and is full of traditional music, symbolism and more. If you want to witness long standing Puerto Rican traditions then this is definitely a celebration you don’t want to miss. Get there early…
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The holidays in Puerto Rico are a true celebration of life and a whole lot of fun. Get out and explore, even the smaller Christmas Festivals are a great experience.
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