A Puerto Rican Christmas with Mia

As the holidays quickly approach, I want to THANK YOU. I appreciate and am grateful to have you with me. Art By Mia could not have done it without the support and love of all the wonderful family, friends and Art supporters. I send a huge heartfelt hug and thank you to all across this universe and send prayers of GOOD HEALTH, PROSPERITY, LOVE and HAPPINESS to ALL. May your days be filled with laughter and your nights with inspiration and creativity.

Join me for a finger lickin good Puerto Rican Christmas!!! Get your cuatros, Congas, Bongos, güiros, y Maracas ready because I am serving it up Puerto Rican Style! Happy and Safe Holidays

Did you know:

Nochebuena, (literally “Good Night”), is a Spanish word referring to the night of Christmas Eve.

Puerto Rican Christmas Traditions … QUE RIIIICCOOOO!!!!

Aguinaldos is what Puerto Ricans call their Christmas songs. Some of the songs are very religious and these are called villancicos. Some have a criollo flavor and they are called décimas navideñas. The rest are either traditional aguinaldos or popular Christmas songs.

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 modern 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”. The Three Wise Men or Los Reyes are prominent in the pesebres.

Parrandas is Christmas caroling Puerto Rican style, wepa!. 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.

Are you hungry?……

Traditional Holiday Foods – The main dish is usually roast pork (penirl) 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”, “flan” and “tembleque” a custard. Coquito is the traditional holiday beverage and is made using coconut milk and rum, yes I said RUM!. A roast pig on a spit, called “lechón asao,” is a tradition and takes all day to cook… Do you fight over the crispy skin?

The holidays do not end on December 25^th……. We keep the traditions going thru January! Having fun yet?

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.

Have you been a good girl or boy? What are your family traditions for the holidays? Don’t have any?… well it’s never too late to start one! So get your WEPA ON! And start the holidays on the right foot with some Music, Food and Community! Can you feel the love?

Thank you for joining my Puerto Rican Christmas and from our home to yours…. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! TE DESEO FELIZ NAVIDAD Y PROSPERO ANO NUEVO!

Mia

Posted on December 12, 2011. Share on Facebook, Twitter or Pinterest.