Holiday food in Dominican Republic

Again a good topic.

I love the holidays, Christmas and the New Year celebration.

Christmas dinner is the 24th. It is a celebration of family and community. Food is whatever the budget will allow. Pork, chicken, and many many side dishes.

New Years eve us the same. Again depending on budget!

Alcohol, music and dancing are an integral part of festivities.

Here we will start celebrating about December 15 and conclude about January 7.

Christmas isn't about presents and commercialism, usually it's about a new outfit for all.

Gifts are on 3 Kings Day on January 6th. One per child if the budget allows.

Christmas day and new years day are for recovering, continuing the party and for dancing.

Some, very few, celebrate with a more North American flavor.

Labor law has employees receive a 13th paycheck equal to 1/12 of annual earnings. That fuels the holidays and partying.  Be careful buying anything in December, prices often go up for big ticket items!

Special dishes and cooking - anyone who knows me is laughing! I am not cooking, I am out Dancing!!  I have been known to dance 10 hours on Christmas Day! Who wants to join me this year?

Puerco asado, whole roasted pig, is the tradition on 24th of December in much od DR. You will find people roasted pigs on the side of the roads all over the counyry on this day.

There are places where you can order a full roasted pig where they prepare them in their dozens together over a large fire. We've bought a whole roasted pig to order from the small businesses alongside Autopista Duarte at the turn to San Fransisco de Macoris. They have sheds at the back with loads of pigs being roasted at this time of year, go see. Yucca is a favorite side.

And along the the eating of the pig in the latter part of the day there will be much merriment with rum, beer, music and dance.

The 24th in the campo is an experience of Dominican culture to savour. Simple family and community enjoyment. Best of DR.

I agree parties in the Campo or countryside are amazing. That is the true spirit of the holidays!!!

Here we can make a party absolutely anywhere!!!

I do not eat the roasted pig! It has never agreed with me and I suffer!!!

Here is a translated article about how the roasted pig became the seasonal holiday food roasted on a pole (puerco a la/en puya) with the recipe how they season the pig.

https://translate.google.com.do/transla … rev=search

And a video of rows of pigs being prepared for the festivities:

https://www.facebook.com/Orbita92.9FM/v … 152367716/

Nochebuena is almost upon us and already this morning there are plenty of impromptu stalls selling 'puerco en puya' (roasted pig on a pole) along one of the main east west corridors, Av. Independencia, in Santo Domingo.

It has been a chaotic past few days in the capital with shops and roads jam packed and this morning is no different as people pack the supermarkets buying the last few things for the partying that begins this afternoon and they join those trying to get out to the campo to their loved ones.

My wife is preparing some simple side dishes to take to her fathers later in the day on the edge of the capital where a couple of pigs are already being turned. She has merengue playing so the party atmosphere is building. I will most likely do the early shift over there and enjoy partying colmado style. Hope the rain keeps away!

It started days and days ago with pugs being sold along the side of the road,  blocking already congested roads! 

Near me they partied until 5:45 am!  Yup I am tired today.

Will be skipping Christmas now and hiding at home! Later tomorrow we go out Dancing!

Bad time for pigs right now.

Roasted pig on the pole could be seen everywhere alongside the roads of the capital again today ready as I drove around ready for the nights festivities.

Yesterday I was sat in a colmado in deep campo  in the afternoon enjoying a cold beer whilst having my eardrums massaged by loud music, when 3 lads in a small truck with cage on the back drew alongside on the dirt track and jumped out and headed into the forested plot opposite. Some squeels could then be heard above the loud music and two nicely fattened pigs were then hauled agianst their wishes with rope and bundled into the back of the truck. The comment was made that within short time they would be lanced with a pole and be spit roasted overnight for today.

The pig population of DR must take a big hit during these days for the enjoyment of many!

All the best for the New Year to all here on this forum. DR is the destination!

Yes tonight is pretty much a repeat of Christmas eve.  Many are home with family forgot of food and drinking. Then at 12:10 they will hit the road heading to the local bar, Colmado etc where they will party till 4 am or so.

No thanks.

Be aware of guns going off at midnight! It's a stupid habit that gets people killed

i stay indoors. as the old bromide reminds, nothing good happens outdoors after midnight.

I am home with a bottle of champagne and Netflix.

Bird Box is excellent! On Netflix now. Happy New Year!

Oh hell no, I am not scaring myself hahahaha!

Here's some DR Nochebuena recipes in today's Diario Libre that may be of interest:

https://www.diariolibre.com/estilos/bue … CJ15853706

'google' translate the article when open with a right click and select translate.

Gifts are on 3 Kings Day on January 6th. One per child if the budget allows.

I missed this post last year so I have to ask for clarification - if gifts are given on Jan 6th, does that mean not at Christmas for the kids or adults or is that discretionary?
Last year gave gifts and kids, as usual had a blast but the adults happily accepted and sort of put them aside and kept on with what they were doing - perhaps that explains it.....live and learn..

Nice to know about the eating and yes last year I learned about all the roast pigs. I was considering going the strip near SFdM turnoff where all those roast shacks are but an enterprising guy in the neighbourhood put up his own stand just paces away from our apartment - it was great (although my Dominican family thought it a little strange when I ate apple sauce with my pork - hehehehe )

The normal here is  gifts on  "Three Kings Day"  January 6th.  They don't do santa claus as a general rule. As the culture gets more americanized (for lack of another term) they start expecting santa claus.

Normally at christmas the family tries to get a new outfit per person in the family or at the least a new tshirt each.  A toy would be given on 3 kings day if there is money for it.

Sadly the commercialization is spreading to this country!

https://listindiario.com/economia/2019/ … ermercados

Again an easily translated article today in Listin Diario using google  suggesting a typical dinner for seven people on Nochebuena will cost 7000 pesos.

Nochebuena is almost upon us and there is excitement in the campo even during these difficult times. Plenty of loud music but no alcohol fueled parties these days and a respect of curfew encouraged by the police and the community elders.

We will be together as a family at my wife's grandparents house later and the evening meal has been brought forward mindful of curfew. It will be likewise in other houses here.

My wife, grandmother and aunts have shared out the responsibilities for preparing the various tradiational dishes and are at work in their kitchens.

We don't have an influx of family from the city this year - it is us that live around each other daily . There are always risks, but life is going on here in this small community. And I guess if I were living in the city or one of the high risk zones I would be more apprehensive mindful of the crowds seen and lack of respect locally for the government controls.

I will miss my turkey though tomorrow.

Covid does not stop enthusiasm for Christmas Eve dinner

https://listindiario.com/la-republica/2 … nochebuena

The Covid-19 will not damage the traditional Christmas Eve dinner that Dominicans celebrate this day, because in the midst of restrictions, complaints about lack of money and other inconveniences, they played it to bring the delicacy to their tables.

People took to the streets the day before from 6:00 in the morning to buy, and in a matter of minutes they filled supermarkets, gift shops and squares, while the streets remained blocked until after 9:00 in the night.

Despite the fact that numerous vendors, formal and informal, complained that "things were slow," the crowds of people at stalls selling food, drinks, clothing, gifts and others, indicated otherwise, since they were crowded with people.

In the avenues Duarte, José Martí and other roads in the environment, in transit it was chaotic, due to the large number of drivers and people on foot who passed through the place loaded with various items.

Even to get a cart you had to wait your turn.

Roasters in the streets

The asaderos and lechoneras began to put the pigs in puja around 4:00 in the afternoon, to respond to the demand of the buyers who stock up on the traditional roast meat.

Mr. Eugenio Navarro (El Vacano), who has a suckling pig farm on the San Isidro highway, had 50 units requested and paid for yesterday afternoon, for which he predicted that today it would reach 200. Contrary to what others predict, for him “the thing it's good".

“Orders are coming in and we are in good spirits that we are going to sell well today. That's why I reinforced my team with 20 more men to be able to meet our clients, ”he said.

However, Juancito Almonte and Mireya Pérez feel slow sales compared to last year, but they hope that this 24 will improve.

A pound of roast pork costs between 250 and 325 a pound, depending on where it is purchased.

Likewise, fruit and candy stalls have been installed in various parts of the city, as well as suckers and baked chicken stalls.

In many ways its business as usual here in the capital. Stores are brutally crowded - not first hand knowledge but many of my employees sent me pictures.  Traffic this year is worse than normal and earlier this week the stores were jammed as were the banks!

There were parties on my street last night - no social distancing going on and lots of drinking. 

I am staying home,  I will enjoy a baked ham tomorrow, not the tradition here or my tradition in past years. But, it works for me this year.

Stay safe everyone.

I just returned from Santo Domingo and was insane with traffic and people. The supermarkets were packed lines out the door and out of items.

I will venture out today to go to my office and will update later. I am hoping it's quieter today.