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The Holiday Season: From Festive Traditions to Coquito Delights in Puerto Rico

Updated: Jun 21

Experience the Magic of the Holiday Season in Puerto Rico: From Parrandas and Festive Decorations to Enjoying Homemade Coquito


Welcome, dear readers, today we bring you a very special proposal. It's time to have a coffee, tea, or your preferred drink and get comfortable as we begin! In the spirit of the season, we want to talk about the uniqueness of the holidays in Puerto Rico and how it transforms into a Christmas paradise.


After celebrating Thanksgiving, we can start to see Christmas trees adorned with bright greens and reds flickering from local businesses. Homes are filled with Christmas decorations, and music from every corner carries a unique rhythm that spreads joy and happiness.


The festive season is not taken lightly on the island, and this is for two reasons. The first is related to Catholicism, the most prevalent religion throughout the island, although denominations from other branches of Christianity, Judaism, and more can also be found. The second reason is the duration of this season; December 24th and 25th are celebrated for the birth of Jesus Christ, but it doesn't end there. Puerto Rico continues the festivities until mid-January, celebrating the Three Wise Men (January 6th, Three Kings Day) and ending with the enormous San Sebastián Festival or San Sebastián Street Festival in Old San Juan at the end of January.


Yes, the festivities in Puerto Rico last about a month and a half. 


But Christmas in Puerto Rico is much more than a simple visual, auditory, or religious celebration. It's also a time of unique and special traditions. One of the most popular traditions is the "parranda," where groups of people go from house to house singing Christmas carols. It's a tradition for the house of the friend or family being visited to have the lights turned off, as if it were asleep. The parranda begins with the group singing, and once the owners "wake up," they welcome the group into their home and offer refreshments until it's time to move on to the next house and start all over again.


There are many varieties of recipes and refreshments for every taste and every home at Christmas. Today, we want to share one of the most traditional ones with you: Puerto Rican Coquito.



Puerto Rican Coquito, a coconut-based drink with alcohol

The recipe we share is one of the simplest and will be enough to fill 2 or 3 bottles:


-1 cup of white rum

-1 can of evaporated milk

-1 can of coconut milk

-1 can of coconut cream

-1 can of condensed milk

-1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

-Cinnamon powder to taste

-Nutmeg to taste


In a blender, combine the liquid ingredients, followed by the tablespoon of vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Blend until you notice that the cinnamon dissolves and unifies.



Let it rest; once it's cool, it's ready to be enjoyed with family or friends. We hope you enjoy this recipe, and thank you for reading us. See you next week!


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