If you thought now it was time to throw out the tree, take down the lights, and move on from Christmas, think again!
Puerto Rico celebrates Three Kings Day (el Día de los Tres Reyes Magos), also known as the Epiphany. Christmas in Puerto Rico usually extends a bit past this date because of las Octavitas, an additional 8 days of Christmas (... kind of).
So, in honor of the continuing spirit of Christmas, here is a blog post by a Cuban discovering parranda music, with lots of it uploaded for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!
Last January, when I visited Puerto Rico for the first time - well only Old San Juan - as a cruise ship excursion - I wondered why they still had all those Christmas decorations and lights on. Now I know. Does this mean I would have to endure parranda noise pollution till January 12?
ReplyDeleteWell, the festivites usually teeter off after 3 Kings Day, although you may not escape unscathed... depends on your neighbors ;) Not a fan?
ReplyDeleteFan? Difficult to say. I participated happily in my first Puertorican parranda, which was hosted nby my neighbors/landlords. Had I anot been participating I would complain about the NOISE VOLUME of the music and festivities in general, and yet it was - by far! - not the noisiest parranda! Next saturday a beach bar three properties away started playing parranda music already at noon and did not stop until late at night. The noise was so unbearable it did not really matter whether the music itself was nice or not. Noise pollution is dangerous to human health and all inhabitants of Latin countries - I've lived in or visited so far - seemed to have been totally oblivious to that fact. For that reason I'd rather have Latin neighbors at a - noisewise - safe distance, no matter how nice people they are otherwise... which is a pity, because they mostly are nice people.
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