Puerto Rico, a True Holiday Paradise

Now Through December 31, 2008 take $200 off Your Trip to the Island of Enchantment

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, Dec. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Puerto Rico claims to have the longest Christmas celebration in the world. The pageantry of the holiday season begins right after Thanksgiving and lasts through the month of January. The people of Puerto Rico celebrate Christmas with music, food and some of the most colorful festivals in the Caribbean. For travelers looking for a warm destination to celebrate the holidays, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) has an exciting offer with a terrific discount to entice those wanting to leave the December chill behind.

Christmas begins in Puerto Rico with traditional parrandas. Groups of friends meet and go from house to house surprising friends with the Latino version of Christmas carols. Musical delights come to life with traditional instruments such as the guiro, maracas, congas, pleneras (a hand-held percussion instrument similar to the tambourine) and the cuatro (a stringed instrument similar to the guitar).

Christmas decorations are a serious affair in Puerto Rico. Entire communities come together and carefully plan their town's decorations, creating a friendly competition among neighborhoods to adorn towns such as Caguas, Cayey, Mayaguez and Bayamon. The town of Hatillo, on the island's north coast, hosts a spectacular festival on December 28 known as the "Festival de las Mascaras" (Festival of Masks). During the festival, everyone dresses in costume to celebrate all day. Some buildings in the San Juan metro area draw landscapes and Christmas symbols on their facades. Among these are the Monte Mall apartments in the heart of the business center. Their past displays have featured poinsettias, the Three Kings, angels, a complete manger, and a depiction of the Holy Family.

Following Christmas, the pomp and circumstance of the season continues with Three Kings Day on January 6. Also known as The Epiphany, and commonly known in Puerto Rico as El Dia de los Reyes, this is a treasured holiday tradition on the island. Island-wide festivals take place with lively music, parades, puppet shows, troubadours, dancing and parties. Traditional holiday food is served including delicious dishes such pasteles (plantain tamale), lechon asado (roast pork), arroz con dulce (rice pudding) and tembleque (coconut based custard). The largest celebration takes place in the town of Juana Diaz in Porta Caribe, the southern part of the island. Smaller celebrations occur throughout the island with non-stop dancing, and extravagant costumes. Additionally, shopping malls throughout the island, such as Plaza Las Americas, give children the opportunity take pictures with the Three Kings, much like they do with Santa Claus in the States.

"Puerto Ricans truly know how to capture the Christmas spirit," said Terestella Gonzalez-Denton, Executive Director of PRTC. "From Christmas day, through to the celebration of San Sebastian there are a variety of activities for visitors to enjoy and partake in during their trip to Puerto Rico."

The holiday season comes to a close at the end of January during the San Sebastian Festival, which is undeniably the blowout event of the year. During the festival, Old San Juan's seven-square-block historic district hosts the Caribbean's best nightlife and a world-class party. The festival draws more than 250,000 people to the Old City to participate in the festivities. In fact, artists such as Puerto Rico native Ricky Martin have performed at this world-renowned event. The locals parade in processions wearing traditional Puerto Rican masks (cabezudos) which are vibrantly colored in red, yellow and blue and create the illusion of comical oversized heads.

Save $200 on Your Trip to Puerto Rico

As an added bonus, PRTC is helping travelers escape the cold weather for fun in the sun this winter by offering travelers $200 off a 4 night / 5 day air and hotel package to the island. Consumers who book their trip online with Expedia, Travelocity, Cheap Caribbean, Liberty Travel or Travel Impressions from December 1 through December 31, 2008, can choose from a number of flights from the U.S. mainland and will be able to stay at some of the island's leading hotels and resorts from December 15, 2008 through March 1, 2009.

Pre/Post-Cruise Fun in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico is also an excellent place to start or end a Caribbean cruise vacation. Currently, fourteen cruise lines visit Puerto Rico with ten ships calling San Juan their homeport: Adventure of the Seas, Carnival Destiny, Carnival Victory, Caribbean Princess, Galaxy, SeadreamI + II, Serenade of the Seas, Silver Cloud and Summit. New ships will be visiting the Port of San Juan for the first time as well: December 2008: Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas and Holland America's Statendam; January 2009: Carnival Cruise Lines' Carnival Pride and Artemis from P&O Cruises. Along with Princess Cruise's Caribbean Princess and Carnival Cruises' Carnival Victory.

No Passport Required for Travel to Puerto Rico

For travel between Puerto Rico and the United States, No Passport Is Required for U.S. citizens. As a further convenience, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company offers an online reservation system for a variety of accommodations. For additional information about Puerto Rico, call (800) 866-7827 or visit www.GoToPuertoRico.com.

About Puerto Rico Tourism Company

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), founded in 1970, is a public corporation responsible for stimulating, promoting and regulating the development of the tourism industry. It markets Puerto Rico as a tourism destination through advertising, public relations and promotional activities; promotes tourism among local residents; provides visitor orientation and technical assistance to investors; evaluates tourism facilities and establishes standards of quality; and regulates and oversees gaming operations. PRTC has offices and representatives in the U.S. mainland, Canada, Europe and Latin America.

    Media Contact:
    Matthew Frappier
    Edelman
    212-819-4802
    Matthew.Frappier@Edelman.com