Christmas Without End: Do Puerto Ricans Really Have the Longest Christmas Season?

As Puerto Ricans, we take immense pride in our Christmas season. We often boast about having the longest Christmas celebration in the world, and for good reason. Here on the island, the festivities begin right after Halloween, with Christmas music, lights, and decorations taking over homes, businesses, and streets. We often joke that Thanksgiving is just a brief pause in our favorite time of year.

But across the globe, the Philippines might challenge our claim. Their Christmas season starts even earlier—on September 1, no less—and continues into February. While both cultures share a passion for extending the holidays, the ways we celebrate are uniquely our own. Let’s dive into how Puerto Rico’s and the Philippines’ traditions compare and why both stand out as champions of the Christmas spirit.

Puerto Rico: A Christmas Like No Other

For us Puerto Ricans, Christmas isn’t just a season—it’s a lifestyle. As soon as the Halloween decorations come down, the air fills with the sounds of aguinaldos (traditional Puerto Rican carols), and homes come alive with lights and nativity scenes. From November through mid-January, it’s a celebration of faith, family, and the vibrant rhythms of our culture.

Traditions That Define Us

• Parrandas: If there’s one tradition we’re famous for, it’s parrandas. These lively, late-night caroling sessions bring friends and family together with instruments like the cuatro and güiro. A parranda often starts as a surprise serenade and turns into a joyous all-night party.
• Nochebuena: Christmas Eve is the pinnacle of the season, marked by a family feast featuring pernil (roast pork), arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), and pasteles (savory pastries wrapped in banana leaves). Of course, no celebration is complete without coquito, our iconic coconut-based holiday drink.
• Three Kings’ Day: On January 6, children leave grass under their beds for the Wise Men’s camels and wake up to gifts. For many Puerto Ricans, Día de Reyes holds as much importance as Christmas Day, if not more.
• Las Octavitas: Just when most people think the holidays are over, Las Octavitas extends the celebrations for another eight days, filled with music, gatherings, and moments of reflection.
• Fiestas de San Sebastián: Even after Las Octavitas, the festivities continue in Puerto Rico until the Fiesta de San Sebastián at the end of January. This popular celebration in San Juan features music, parades, and vibrant nightlife, keeping the streets alive with joy until the last Christmas light fades.

Puerto Rico’s Christmas is as dynamic as the island itself, combining sacred traditions with the warmth and vibrancy of our Afro-Caribbean culture.

The Philippines: A Christmas That Starts in September

Across the Pacific, the Philippines claims the world’s longest Christmas season, starting as early as September 1. Known as the “Ber months,” this time is filled with festive music, decorations, and gatherings. For Filipinos, it is a time of faith, community, and joy that continues well beyond New Year’s Day.

Key Filipino Traditions

• Simbang Gabi: At the heart of Filipino Christmas is Simbang Gabi, a series of nine dawn masses leading up to Christmas Eve. Many believe that completing all nine brings blessings in the coming year.
• Parol Lanterns: These colorful, star-shaped lanterns illuminate homes, streets, and churches, symbolizing the Star of Bethlehem and spreading hope and light.
• Noche Buena: Like Puerto Ricans, Filipinos celebrate Christmas Eve with a family feast featuring lechón (roast pig), hamón (Christmas ham), and sweet rice cakes like bibingka and puto bumbong.
• The Extended Celebration: Filipino Christmas doesn’t end on December 25. The festivities continue through Epiphany (January 6) and often until Candlemas on February 2, marking nearly five months of celebration.

Their traditions reflect their Catholic heritage and the importance of community, much like ours, but with symbols and practices uniquely Filipino.

The Heart of Christmas

Here in Puerto Rico, we know how to savor every moment of the Christmas season. From the energy of parrandas to the sacred traditions of Three Kings’ Day, we embrace the holiday as a time to share love, faith, and culture with those we hold dear.

While the Philippines might claim the “longest” celebration, we proudly carry the torch for one of the most spirited and joyful seasons in the world. Whether it’s a parranda in Puerto Rico or a parol lantern lighting up a Filipino street, Christmas reminds us of what truly matters: faith, family, and togetherness.

At the end of the day, it’s not about who celebrates longer. Both Puerto Rico and the Philippines show that Christmas is more than a day or even a month—it’s a season of gratitude, joy, and connection.

¡Feliz Navidad! 🎄