Holidays to Dominican Republic
People throughout the whole world flock to the Dominican Republic to catch the spirit of music and dance that fill this nation with a festive mood all year long. As people stroll through the streets of this small country, they come to the realization that music and dancing has become a way of life here that one can visibly see and feel in the meringue, the national dance. This dance has mysterious origins that have various renditions.
Some will say that this dance is purely Dominican while others give the explanation that it is a mixture of European and African movements. This will spark interest in you to know about holidays to Dominican Republic in case you are interested in planning a trip there.
Events in the Dominican Republic encompass many different themes which include music, political and religious. Many of these events here are usually just for locals or people who celebrate different religious days including the Day of the Dead, a day that is celebrated throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Latin America.
This event is held yearly in the Dominican Republic to remember any family members who are deceased. Children are honored on November 1st and the adults are honored on November 2nd. These are the days that people in many cultures believe that those who have passed away can visit those that they love.
During this particular festival in the Dominican Republic, the family starts at the gravesite and then proceeds to leave a flower trail to their home where a feast is prepared so that the deceased person will be able to enjoy the time that is spent with the family. It seems that this would be a fine time to plan holidays to Dominican Republic in order to see first hand what takes place on these special days.
There are a number of festivals held in the Dominican Republic that offer music as the primary attraction.
The Dominican Republic Jazz Festival is just one of them. This is a large event which is celebrated in three main vicinities that include Sosua, Cabarete and Puerto Plata. This yearly festival has jazz musicians along with bands that perform on the beach while participants join in by dancing, feasting on Dominican cuisine and becoming part of this one of a kind festival.
Besides this festival, there are other festivals held in the Dominican Republic such as a weeklong event called the Santo Domingo Merengue Festival. The Malecon hosts this event which takes place either the last week of the month of July or the first week of August. This is one of the holidays to Dominican Republic that you may not want to miss. There will plenty of time for dancing during the night to the sound of the Dominican musicians as well as enjoying the delectable cuisine.
The month of February is the most anticipated festival of the year in the Dominican Republic. Carnaval is the largest and most colorful event that takes place among all the other holidays. In Santiago, the Carnival first began in 1867. This is a special time when Dominicans attend parties, take part in parades, wear costumes, go dancing in the street, eat and drink and have loads of fun with locals and tourists alike.
Each Sunday in February Carnival takes place in la Vega, Monte Cristi, Santo Domingo and San Cristobal. At times people can go overboard with these celebrations. As part of the big parties, people dress up in colorful costumes and masks and hit one another with inflated pig and cow bladders. In Santo Domingo, during the week of Carnival, there are crowds of almost 100,000 people. This would be a great time to schedule one of those holidays to Dominican Republic in order to catch the spirit of Carnival week!
The most recognized mask of the Carnival, which is called the Diablo Cojuelo Mask, had its origins in Santo Domingo and La Vega. The tradition of the Carnaval called “Puerto Plata” is that the Diablo Cojuelo, or horned devil, lashes out at all who participate in this event with an inflated cow bladder in order to purge the sins from the spectators.
There are different celebrations that take place all year long in the country of the Dominican Republic. Tourists are always welcomed to take part in these festivals. This Caribbean nation is known for its music and colorful festivals that attract visitors from all over the globe.
Try scheduling one of these holidays to Dominican Republic in order to take part in the fun.
