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PuertoRicianCulture

Page history last edited by PBworks 17 years, 11 months ago

The Puerto Rican Culture

 

Puerto Rico, a Central American country, is world-wide known for their friendly natives and over exaggerated hand gestures. Many other countries are brought together in Puerto Rico and share fun times through holidays, education, and religion. This country is also a main country that immigrants emigrate to. Puerto Rican people are always lively and fun, which is why this is such a great country to be at.

 

 

How was Puerto Rico discovered and Made What it is Today?

 

Puerto Rico was first acquired in 1898, by Christopher Columbus. He discovered it on his second journey over to then western hemisphere. Once found, Puerto Rico began to inhabit many immigrants from China, Italy, France, and Germany. These were the nationalities of the people who built the first streets of Puerto Rico. After everything was created, this is island became a commonwealth to the United States. A lot of American influence has been added to Puerto Rio from that day forward.

 

 

What are some of the Different Laws in Puert Rico?

People who live in Puerto Rico have to live with a lot of differences than the people that live in the United States. Citizens from this island have to pay no income tax. A downfall of living in Puerto Rico is the fact that you would not be allowed to vote for a president. Puerto Ricans may be run by Americans but are not allowed a say in who is their leader.

 

 

How Many People Live in Puerto Rico?

 

Although Puerto Rico is a very small island, it has one of the largest populations considering the amount of land that is there. There are over 1,000 people for every square mile in Puerto Rico, which is a lot higher than the United States. The total population of this country is 3,916,632 people. One third of the population is located in San Juan. The reason that the population is so high is because during the 1960’s many people immigrated to Puerto Rico. During this time Cuba was having a tough time dealing with Fidel Castro’s communist ways and went to Puerto Rico. After immigrating there, many of the citizens realized that this was a great country to live in so they stayed there for the rest of their lives. Another reason that the population is very high is because even today there are many people emigrating there from the Dominican Republic. Poverty is a huge issue in this country. The population of Puerto Rico is spread out between rural areas and urban areas. There is a huge difference in the percentage of people that live in cities compared to the amount of people that live in the country. The percentage for the urban areas is 71%, while the percentage for the rural areas is only 29%. Puerto Rico is an island with people living mainly in cities.

 

What is the Education in Puerto Rico?

 

Since there are more people living in cities, education is a common thing for kids. In Puerto Rico there are over 1,532 public schools. The first schools were only located in San Juan, and only taught religion, arts, and grammar. Today, there are not only public schools, but private schools and universities as well. There are 569 private schools and 44 universities running in Puerto Rico right now.

 

What Religions do People in Puerto Rico Practice?

 

There are many religions practiced in Puerto Rico, including Catholic and Protestant. Although there are religions to practice some people do not believe in it. 85% of the people in Puerto Rico practice the Catholic religion. This is because Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States, and many people in the U.S. study Catholicism. 8% of the citizens of this island practice the Protestant religion, 3% of the population study other religions, and 2.3% are non-religious. Puerto Rico is, overall, a very religious.

Religion and Population Website

What Type of People Live in Puerto Rico?

 

The religion that the majority of Puerto Rico practices may come from the United States, but the types of people that come are from all over the world. Latino people are the most common people in Puerto Rico. This is because the island is very close to South America. Another nationality that is popular in Puerto Rico is African because poverty in this continent is a major issue. Many people think that the inhabitant’s off springs are still alive and well, but that is not true. Although the island of Puerto Rico was inhabited by the Taino people, there are no more of them left. All of the Tainos died when they were forced to be slaves in the 1800’s. There may not be any Tainos left, but there are still some jibaros living in Puerto Rico. Jibaros are farmers that used the Tainos as slaves. When all of the slaves were freed a holiday was made.

The Puerto Rican Culture Website

 

 

What Holidays are Celebrated in Puerto Rico?

 

In Puerto Rico there are many holidays that are celebrated each year. One of the holidays is Constitution Day, which is on July 25th. This holiday was first celebrated when Puerto Rico became a commonwealth to the United States. This allowed them to start their own traditions as an island. Two days after Constitution Day, is Barbosa Day. On July 27th many citizens of Puerto Rico come together to celebrate the birthday of Jose Celso Barbosa, who was a famous doctor and politician. Another birthday that has its own holiday is the Birthday of Eugenio Mario de Hostos. It takes place on January 11th, and is used to celebrate a famous patriot and philosopher. The next holiday after January is on March 22nd. It is called Emancipation Day and was first started on the day when slavery was abolished. After Emancipation Day comes De Diego Day on April 16th. Diego, a famous patriot, is celebrated because of the many battles he fought and won, while in war. May 28th is also a famous holiday in Puerto Rico, as it is in the United States. This is a world-wide holiday called Memorial Day, and is used to remember the veterans of wars. The second most popular holiday in Puerto Rico is San Juan Day. It is celebrated on the day that San Juan was found. On June 24th citizens from all over Puerto Rico come to San Juan to shop, go sight seeing, and pray for their families. This holiday also represents the day that the Americans defeated the Spanish army. There are only three more holidays left during the year. The first of the three is Ponce do Leon Day, which occurs on August 18th. Ponce de Leon was a famous discoverer, who came with Christopher Columbus on his second expedition to Puerto Rico. Christopher Columbus also has his own day during the year. It is called Discovery Day, and is celebrated on November 19th, which was when he discovered Puerto Rico. The last holiday of the year is the most famous one. It is Christmas.

Puerto Rican Holidays

 

 

What is Christmas Popular for in Puerto Rico?

 

Throughout the whole month of December citizens of Puerto Rico go caroling. This special type is called “parrandas”. Nine days before Christmas occurs there is mini holiday for the religious people of the island. It is called Misa de Anguinaldo, and is celebrated by going to church, eating food and candy, and drinking coffee. After this day, the caroling continues all the way up until Christmas Eve. In Puerto Rico this day is called Noche Buena. The main dishes that are served are lechon asado (a leafy or lettuce type of food,) and pasteles, (pastries.) When all of these celebrations are over the people of Puerto Rico go to midnight mass, to wait for the arrival of the Three Kings. After Christmas is over, a New Year starts, and the holidays continue from the beginning.

Picture of Christmas Meals

 

 

What Instruments are Used in Puerto Rican Music?

 

When the holidays come yet again, there are many instruments and music being played. Most of the music from Puerto Rico sounds like the common city music I the United States. There are three major instruments used: maracas, guiro, and the cuatro. Maracas are shakers, the guiro is a gourd-shaped shaker, and the cuatro is a special guitar with only four strings. All of these instruments used together make a very classic tune in Puerto Rico called, Bomba y Plena.

Picture of Guiro

 

What Kind of Food is Traditionally Eaten in Puerto Rico?

 

When dinner time rolls around, Puerto Ricans have many unique dishes that are native to Puerto Rico. Puertican cuisine is a blend of Mexican, African, Taino, Spanish, and American influences. Some traditional ingredients used include papaya, yampee, cacao, nispero, apio, and plantains. Puerto Rican cuisine is often referred to as "cocina criolla." When Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1493, they Spanish added beef, pork, rice, wheat, and olive oil to Puerto Rican cooking. When slaves were transported to Puerto Rico, they were forced to plant sugar canes. The natives took this and started to incorporate this into everyday day foods. Breakfast consists of fresh fruit bought from the local market. Lunch and dinner may start off with a hot sizzling appetizer such as "bacalaitos", crunchy cod fritters; "surullitos", corn meal fingers. After the appetizer, soup may be a popular choice. For the main course, chicken with herbs and spices would be a common dish. "Arroz y Pollo" is the most popular chicken dish on the island. For dessert, coconut is used a lot and is plentiful on the island. If you are not having a coconut dessert, you will most likingly be having a flan or custard. Puerto Rican food has a wide variety and there is something different for almost anyone.

The Puerto Rican culture is a very unique thing. They use different music than the U.S., the have different holidays, and they have different rules and laws. Puerto Rican citizens are often very lively and exciting, which is why the island would be a great place to vacation to, or even to live in.

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