Dominican Republic Holidays And Festivals
The holidays and festivals in the Dominican Republic are some of the most important and festive celebrations in the whole world. These are Holidays Dominican Republic style! The pageantry, lively music, garish costumes, and the pleased disposition of its locals all help with the ebullience of the festivities. Tourists internationally come regularly to the beautiful island to join in on the fun and excitement.
Most of other holidays being celebrated in the Dominican Republic pay homage to the tenets of Christianity. This is no surprise because the Dominican culture is of Hispanic origin. In point of fact, there seems to be a celebration everyday from somewhere in the land as all municipalities and towns have their own patron saints to commemorate on a particular day of the year.
VIRGEN DE ALTAGRACIA
The most significant religious celebration in the Dominican culture is the La Dia de la Virgen de Altagracia, which is celebrated on January 21. The Virgen de Altagracia, referred to as Our Lady of the Highest Grace, is the patron virgin of the Dominican Republic. In this holiday, thousands of Dominicans set out on a several day pilgrimage to the magnificent basilica of the Higuey.
LA CARNIVAL
Held every Sunday throughout the whole month of February, the La Carnival is the most anticipated and exciting festival in the Dominican Republic. It is a time for partying, with the locals donning their [traditional conventional] demon costumes and dancing incessantly to the lively tempo of the band’s music. The Carnival is concluded by a huge parade to the Malecón on February 27 to herald the advent of Independence Day.
LA DIA DE INDEPENDENCIA
The La Carnival is simply a prelude to a party that is so much bigger. Held on February 27, the La Dia De Independencia (Independence Day) marks the day of the Dominican Republic’s independence from Haiti. Same with the La Carnival, this specific day involves a lot of dancing, parades, eating, and drinking. It’s the apex of the celebrations that began during the carnival. In a way of speaking, the La Dia De Independencia is the party to stop all parties!
LA NAVIDAD
La Navidad is celebrated on December 25, that is actually Christmas, identical to in the US and many parts of the world. The normal serving of food among families and exchanging of gifts is done to enjoy the day. The only difference is that local people attend a midnight mass before proceeding with the actual celebrations.
THE MERENGUE FESTIVAL
The Merengue is the most popular music and dance in the Dominican Republic. Every year in July, the Dominicans stage a 10-day celebration overflowing with parties, music, dancing, and concerts. The festival starts with a parade, complete with bands, dancers, and men in costume. Even hotels and clubs organize their own events and concerts in lieu of this specific holiday. And of course, they all dance to the tune of the exotic and upbeat rhythm of the merengue.
The Dominicans, except for being a religious bunch, are a festive crowd, which is quite telling when you consider the manner in which they celebrate their holidays. Truth to tell, they like to party and have a good time regularly even in ordinary days. So if you want a really unique and fun holiday, the Dominican Republic is the perfect place to go to.
1 Comment
Great overview for those clueless (like me) about these holidays. The blog layout and everything looks awesome by the way! I wanted to click on everything when I got to your homepage…will have to save some posts for next time. : )