Holidays in Puerto Rico 2018

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The Holiday Season in Puerto Rico traditionally begins around Thanksgiving and ends after Three Kings Day in January. Festivities, however, continue through the San Sebastian Street Festival a 4-day event that starts the third Thursday of January.

Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) typically is marked by a large dinner with family and friends. Traditional menu items are Pasteles (a type of Puerto Rican tamale), Arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Lechón (spit-roasted pig) and Coquito (a coconut and rum-based eggnog). Then it's off to Midnight Mass (Misa de Gallo). Throughout the Christmas season neighbors and friends might make a 'Parranda' going house to house singing Puerto Rican Christmas Carols while playing traditional instruments like the 'Plena', a hand-held drum, the crowd gets larger and larger as it moves through the neighborhood.

Puerto Rico celebrates Three Kings Day (Día de los Reyes Magos) on January 6. Three Kings Day Eve, January 5 (Vispera de los Tres Reyes Magos) is when children leave a glass of water and a box filled with grass out for the Three Kings to drink and their camels to eat. On Three Kings Day the children awake to find the grass and water gone and presents under the Christmas Tree.

 

Puerto Rico Holidays

 
DATE HOLIDAY
Monday, January 1, 2018 New Year's Day 
Saturday, January 6, 2018 Three Kings Day (Epiphany) 
Monday, January 15, 2018       Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday
Monday, February 19, 2018 President's Day, Puerto Rican Governors Day and Celebration of illustrious Puerto Ricans1
Thursday, March 22, 2018 Emancipation Day (Día de la Abolición de la Esclavitud)
Friday, March 30, 2018 Good Friday
Sunday, April 1, 2018 Easter Sunday
Sunday, May 13. 2018 Mother's Day
Monday, May 28, 2018 Memorial Day
Sunday, June 17, 2018 Father's Day 
Wednesday, July 4, 2018 United States Independence Day
Wednesday, July 25, 2018 Constitution Day
Monday, September 1, 2018 Labor Day
Monday, October 8, 2018 Columbus Day
Sunday, November 11, 2018 Veterans Day
Monday, November 19, 2018 Puerto Rican Culture Day & Discovery of Puerto Rico Day
Thursday, November 22, 2018 Thanksgiving Day
Monday, December 24, 2018 Christmas Eve2
Tuesday, December 25, 2018 Christmas Day
 
 1Commemorating: Eugenio María de Hostos, José de Diego, Luis Muñoz Rivera, José Celso Barbosa, Ramón Emeterio Betances, Román Baldorioty de Castro, Luis Muñoz Marín, Ernesto Ramos Antonini and Luis A. Ferré
2Holiday starts at midday

Source: Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce