Puerto Rico Information:

Traditions/Celebrations or Rituals:
Puerto Rican culture is greatly seen in festivities. They have the longest Christmas
starting from November 23 to the end of January when the Fiesta de la Calle San Sebastian.
During Christmas, they do carols with family and friends in the early morning. In addition to
that, they also celebrate Epiphany. This is when children collect gifts when visiting their
relatives. Lastly, they celebrate the Night of Saint John. This is where jump backwards into the
sea seven times in belief that they will get rid of bad luck.
Communication Pattern:
Puerto Ricans communicate verbally. They have written literature, but that was done in
the 19 century. The people use a lot of gestures and try to use euphemism instead of being really
direct so they will not come off as being rude.
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Lifestyle:
The Puerto Rican lifestyle was heavily influenced by groups of people such as the Tainos,
Europeans, Africans, and the Americans. Their language, food, and celebrations were impacted.
Nowadays, they are being heavily influenced by the western society however it still keeps some
of their traditions and customs.
Language:
English and Spanish are the official languages. However Spanish is used more often nowadays.
Their language is affected by Tainos, Amerindians that were on Puerto Rico before the European
rule, and the African lanuage.
English
Pigeon Pea
hurricane
hammock

Spanish
Gadul
hurakan
hamaca

African
gandul
orkaan
hangmat

Taino
----hurakan
hamaca

Culture:
Possessions: Musical instruments such as the maracas and guiro (hollow gourd). They have art
paintings, masks (adorned with horns), and laces which were manually made. Used a fishing
tooth or a stingray spine for the spearhead.
Money: Used peso during the colonization of Puerto Rico. Puerto Rican bilingual notes of 200
pesos were printed and used. Now they currently use USD but they still refer to the money as
pesos or dolar.

Food: Dishes consist of tropical fruits and veggies, seafood, condiments, rice, and beans.
Spanish people introduced wheat products, pork, and cattle. Rum and coffee are the popular
beverages. Meals in Puerto Rican tradition follow the Spanish custom: breakfast, large midday
meal, and a modest supper. Some local dishes are Arroz con Gandulez (rice and pigeon peas) and
tostones (fried plantains).

Clothing: Puerto Rican Traditional clothings are heavily influenced by Spain, Latin America, and
the Carribean. The Traditional clothes are very colorful. With the Taino influence, people did not
wear much but they did have a lot of body paintings and accessories. The Puerto Rican clothing
was influenced more by the arrival of Europeans, Africans, and Spanish People. Men wear straw
hats while women wear long full skirts and a low-necked blouse. Men also wear the "guayabera,"
a loose-fitting men's shirt, is a traditional garment that remains popular for both casual and
dressy occasions.
Education: In Puerto, there is Instruction and Education. Instruction is when kids learn in an
educational system whereas Education is when kids learn respect and how to be polite. These
people believe that education is really important. Elementary education is mandatory however
the people prefer private schooling rather than a public education system.
People with disabilities:
Stereotypes and Myths:
Stereotypes:
* Love to eat rice and beans
* Love to dance, love clubing/night life
* Have disruptive parades in urban areas
* Associated with drug dealers
* Perceived contributions to world are salsa singers
* Perception of being dark skinned
Myths:
The creature known as El Chupacabra. It has been believed that it terrorizes Puerto Rico, South
America, and even parts of the U.S., for quite some time now. Chupacabra means "goat-sucker,"
and this monster is known for sucking the blood of goats and other animals, leaving nothing but
a carcass and two small puncture wounds to mark its deadly presence.
The Legend of the Hummingbird: A little bit like Romeo and Juliet. Two lovers named Alida and
Taroo fall in love. However, Alida's father is against it and arranges a marriage for his daughter

to get married to another man. The girl prays to the gods to prevent her from succumbing to that
fate so the gods turned her into a red flower
Taroo, her lover, did not know what had happened so he waited for her by the lake/pool. one
night the moon took pity on him and told him how she turned into a flower. He begged the gods
to help him find her, and once again they obliged, changing him into a hummingbird.
Religion:
Mostly Roman Catholic (85%) and Protestant&others(15%)
Traditional Recreation:
Surfing. Snorkeling, Diving, and Sailing
Environment linked to population:
Puerto is a commonwealth and got colonized by Taino, Europeans, and was influenced by
Africans. So the ethnicity or race are mostly Spanish (80.5%), then black (8%), followed by
Amerindian (0/4%), and then the others (11.1%). The population is about 3.6 million according
to 2014 reports and it is a large land that can accommodate the large amount of people. It also
has tropical forests and the seas to supply the people with food and resources.