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Puerto Rico has been acknowledged by several sources as the place to be for the holidays. Smarter Travel positions our island as one of the 3 most festive Christmas destinations. This title is mainly won because of the length of our celebrations, which extend all the way to mid January, and end with the Festival of Saint Sebastian; better known as “Las Sanses.” Puerto Rico has a long Catholic tradition and, originally, this festival honored the Catholic saint of soldiers and athletes; but through the years, the religious sentiment has taken a backseat. Instead, the festivity is used to celebrate the island’s culture. Sadly, most of our generation have lost sight of the true beauty of this tradition. Some are even pushed away from it because they believe it’s all about drinking and being around crowds of sweaty people. But there’s another, brighter side to the event, which is the one I want to share with you today.
In my family, the tradition is simple: we make our way into the festival really early in the morning. Once in San Juan, we get breakfast at one of San Juan’s many iconic coffee shops. One of my favorites is Cuatro Sombras which serves 100% Puerto Rican craft coffee from the mountains of Yauco.
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Afterwards, we make our way to the “Cuartel de Ballajá,” one of the main spots for art seekers. “Las Sanses” is a place for discovery and in “Ballajá,” local artisans, artists, and musicians gather to share their creations. There you can find anything from amazing sculptures, made of wood, to three kings alien style. Puerto Ricans are resourceful and creative; there’s no limitations to what you might find. For example, this year I even saw sculptures made of matches, matches!
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Dancers and musicians from all around the island create performances to show our roots. Beautiful hand made dresses fill the scene and in the background the sound of “los barriles” fills the streets.
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Source: Metro PR
And if you are still looking for something more refreshing you can still find some of the best drinks in town, featuring everything from draft beer to artisanal sangría. Baristas are ready to create the best cocktails with the freshest ingredients. Which you can pair with some of the best Puerto Rican street foods.
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Some people question safety on the streets, but San Juan makes it a top priority to keep people safe during the festivities. Everything is controlled, from traffic to what comes in and out, with policemen stationed in various vantage points throughout the city. In my case, I prefer to leave early, so around 5pm we were wrapping up and heading home. We had an amazing time and left with some one of a kind goodies made by the hands of amazing Puerto Rican artisans; which we were proud to sponsor. So next year, I invite all of you collegiettes to make your own group and visit these amazing festivities, I promise you won’t regret it!
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