New Year’s Day in Puerto Rico

We celebrate the New Year with big, big parties and “parrandas”. Parrandas are like going caroling from house to house, but our people do this when it is late, late at night.

The people that you are supposed to visit can not know about you going to visit them that night; it’s like a big surprise! We eat, dance and sing all night long.

On New Year, people wear brand new clothes, and some go to visit relatives and watch t.v. until 12:00 a.m. At that time, some make a big circle and pray giving God thanks for the year that has past and for the new year. They give big hugs and kisses to everyone.

Source: discoverpuertorico.com

Some also dress in white clothes for “good luck”. We eat pork, “pasteles” (like tamales), arroz con gandules (rice with green pigeon peas) and arroz con dulce (sweet rice).

You can also see fireworks in some places. Couples go to the beach to see the first sunset of the year. In some neighborhoods you can see the streets closed and people dancing in the middle of the street until the sun comes up.