Dominican+Republic

Donato R.

**Dominican Republic**
The Dominican Republic is a small country in the Caribbean that shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. It has an area of about 48,442 square kilometers (18,704 square miles). Approximately 9.65 million people occupy it. The capital is Santo Domingo, with a population of about 2.25 million.

Decorations The Dominicans have similar decorations to what we see in America. The Flor de Pascua, or poinsettia, is one of them. Another name for it is the Estrella de Navidad, or The Star of the Birth of Christ. They also have a Nacimiento, which is the Nativity scene. A different decoration that they have is the Charamico, which means "dry branch." It is simply a branch that has been painted white and is decorated afterwards, if desired. These branches somewhat resemble our christmas trees, but they are shorter and do not have needles.

[[image:http://assets4.designsponge.com/wp-content/uploads/img_2930.jpg]] Charamico
Aguinaldos This is a form of caroling that is practiced in the Dominican Republic. Small groups of the carolers travel from door to door, hoping to receive something or to be invited inside for an informal party. The singing is often accompanied by an accordian, a tambora (drum), and a guira, which is a cylindrical percussion instrument. The party usually consists of singing, dancing, and eating. The carolers will often receive ginger tea, coffee hot chocolate, and cake. The word agunaldo has become associated directly with the parties over the years.

Here is a video of Dominican family celebrating the partying tradition in America media type="youtube" key="OkRGLCI1GBo" height="315" width="420"

Citations

"Christmas in Dominican Republic." //Christmas//. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. .

"Christmas Celebrations Around the World." //Goodman Theatre Education//. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. .

"Dominican Republic Christmas Traditions Page 2." //Colonial Zone Guide, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.// Web. 15 Dec. 2011. .

"Dominican Republic." //U.S. Department of State//. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. [].

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"Latina Viva - Latin Holidays - Dominican Republic - Latina Latin Lifestyle Music Food Tradition Movies TV Moving Adventure, Latina Latin Lifestyle Music Food Tradition Movies Tv Moving Adventure, Salsa Music, Latin Music, Latin American Food, Latin American, Latina Brides." //Latina Viva - Lifestyle, Music, Food and Tradition for the Latin Woman// Word Press. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. []. ======

Holiday Craft Tree. Personal photograph by author.

"Dominican Republic Map." Map. //Dominican Republic//. Embassyhomepage.com, 2001. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. .

// Dominican Style Christmas in New York //. //YouTube//. YouTube, 9 Dec. 2006. Web. 15 Dec. 2011. .