Celebrating Christmas: Dominican Republic

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Dominican Republic is a small nation on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. Blessed with a tropical climate and emerald seas, the Dominican Republic seems like a far cry from the typical image of Christmas. However, the Christmas spirit is very high in this country as Christmas is already in the air days before the much awaited December 25. As a dominantly Christian country, Christmas Day in the Dominican Republic is one of the most important days of the year.

There are distinct Christmas traditions in Dominican Republic. Notably, the holidays are already up in the air even several weeks before Christmas day. Similar to many countries, Christmas carols are common in the country. It is a sign that Christmas is just around the corner when the ‘Pericos Ripiaos’ — a group of 3-4 people who plays indigenous instruments such as güira, drum and accordion — start appearing. Other groups also form to visit a house or two to spread the holiday carols. As these groups make their way to their final destination, they usually drop by a few houses where they entertain families with Christmas songs such as “Ya llegó la Navidad “(“Deck the Halls”) and “Qué verdes son” (“Oh Christmas Tree”). A Dominican family invites these groups in for some music and drinks such as jengibre, a home-made warm ginger drink or a cup of coffee. Afterwards, everybody heads off to the “final destination” where the carolers and the neighbors flock to for more music, food and drinks.

Christmas does earlier in Dominican Republic as by the 24th of December, everything seems to stop. Many businesses close as early as they can to prepare for the Noche Buena, the Christmas eve dinner. Many family members go home early to wrap presents and prepare for the glorious midnight meal which is celebrated before the Midnight Mass or the misa de gallo. Hence, as early as the day before Christmas, the event is already being celebrated. In addition to traditional food and drinks, fireworks or the Fuegos artificiales are very important staples in Dominican Christmas tradition. Families spend on these fireworks which they light up as early as December 24.

Of course, traditional Christmas food grace every Dominican table in the country. Dishes include Puerco asado (roasted pork), Pollo asado o al horno (roasted chicken or oven-baked chicken), Pasteles en Hojas (root vegetables cooked in banana or plantain leaves), and huge plates of dulce or sweets like caramels, jellies and marshmallows. The jengibre is a special holiday drink and it does have an edge over the common ginger tea; this warm drink infuses ginger roots with jagu, a sweet fruit about the size of an orange and a taste similar to ginger.

By Christmas Day, everybody is in for a treat. In addition to the food, it is a common tradition to hold an Angelitos or an anonymous exchanging of small gifts. The Angelitos can actually start a few weeks before Christmas, but things can get exciting come Christmas Day. People try to find out who their angels are, and every one does have a bit of surprise in this special day.

As the holiday wraps up and the year closes in, many Dominicans show their superstitious side. They believe that they should clean their house before the New Year, and they tend to clean up every corner and every fold of their homes. Many houses get a fresh paint this part of the year, and many people also give away old things in exchange for new ones.

Dominicans celebrate Christmas day because of their strong religious and cultural beliefs. Nonetheless, the holiday season is all about family, friends and neighbors, a time to mark the birth of Christ and the coming days where a New Year is just around the corner.

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