Traditions One tradition in Puerto Rico is how they name their children.

They go by their first,

fathers last name, and then mothers last name. Usually, they are both used when addressing
people. However, to avoid confusion, they typically drop their mothers’ family when they are in
America (Puerto Rican Americans, 2009).
Another tradition is for people who practice Catholicism. The first traditional celebration is baptism.
Soon after the child is born, they become baptized and there is a lot of emphasis put on the
“padrinos” or grandparents. The second large catholic tradition is the First Holy Communion.
Funerals are grieved in a similar way as the United States (Puerto Ricans, 2009).

When parents die, the land and property are still usually transferred to the eldest son. However, the
eldest daughter also has many rights in this area. Most American traditions have been passed to
Puerto Rican culture. An example of this would be how they celebrate holidays like Christmas and
Independence Day (Vigil, 1996).

Common Puerto Rican words and phrases

Puerto Rico is among the many countries worldwide that are predominantly
Spanish-speaking, and while there are many words and phrases that are
common and mean the same internationally, there are others that are local to
the island. Some phrases, for example, refer specifically to things in Puerto
Rico – such as the skyward-pointing statue of Christopher Columbus
referenced in the saying “cuando Colón baje el dedo” (“when Columbus
lowers his finger”), meaning that something will never happen. There is also
the word china, which Puerto Ricans use to signify the color orange and an
orange (the fruit), when in other Spanish-speaking countries naranja is used.

Clapping when a plane lands in Puerto Rico

Anyone that’s flown to Puerto Rico might’ve already seen first-hand that
sometimes Puerto Ricans clap when the plane lands at the airport runway.
The clapping isn’t all that uncommon, although the popularity of it has
arguably waned in recent years. If you’re wondering what it means, clapping is
a gesture of thanks that the plane has landed safely in the island home.
Attending the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York
City
Every summer down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, thousands of
Puerto Ricans attend the parade, set to celebrate its 60th year in 2017. It is
one of the largest, if not the largest, event celebrating Puerto Ricans that
takes place in the United States, with a number of cultural activities held and
educational scholarships. A significant event, it has become tradition for
many generations of Puerto Ricans to come together to attend the parade.

The long Christmas season

The Puerto Rican Christmas or Navidad season lasts approximately from the
end of November at around Thanksgiving, until mid-January. Not only do
people typically celebrate the birth of Jesus, but there are also further
celebrations when children receive gifts; Santa Claus appears towards the
end of December, coinciding with Noche Buena (the night of December 24),
while the Three Kings bring gifts to children on the night of January 5,
the Víspera de los Reyes. The Three Kings, which are also called the Three
Wise Men or Three Magi, have a religious significance because it is believed
that they also brought gifts to baby Jesus.

Music is often played during Christmas time and popular songs include “Feliz
Navidad” by Jose Feliciano, and “Canto a Borinquen” by salsa
standouts Héctor Lavoe and Willie Colón, with assistance from Yomo Toro.
Food is very important, and traditional Christmas dishes that are frequently on
the menu during the season include pasteles, pork cooked in different ways
(especially a la parrilla), and arroz con dulce.

Trullas and parrandas

One of the most noteworthy and fun Christmas traditions is
the trulla or parranda. The custom is a bit similar to Christmas carolers in
other countries, but turned up a couple of notches with instruments and
surprise appearances at the houses of friends and family at any time of night.
Often people in parrandas wake up the resident of the house they’re visiting
and make so much noise that the neighbors are woken up as well. After the
Christmas songs have been sung, the parranda people spend time at the
house they’ve visited and sometimes have a meal together. There’s a lot of
fun to be had with family and friends during this time of the year, and
a parranda is a great way to keep the festivities going.

REFERENCES:

https://sites.psu.edu/intercommpuertorico/traditions-and-holidays9/

https://theculturetrip.com/caribbean/puerto-rico/articles/6-traditions-or-customs-only-puerto-ricans-
can-understand/