![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.dominicanaonline.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2007\/02\/fiestas-dominicanas.jpg\")
<\/a>Dominicans always have something to celebrate. There is never a lack of positive reasons, as shown in the festive yearbook, which is full of Patron Saint festivities, national celebrations, birthdays of heroes, fairs and family gatherings.<\/p>\nSecular and religious festivities<\/strong><\/h2>\n1 of January \u2013 New Year<\/strong><\/p>\nThe New Year celebration begins shortly before midnight on December 31st<\/sup> with family and street parties, or in nightclubs. To attract good luck, some Dominicans traditionally dress in white, wear new outfits, burn incense, paint their houses and buy new household goods.<\/p>\nHoly Christ of the Bayaguana Miracles<\/strong><\/p>\nOn January 1st<\/sup>, at the conclusion of the Los Toros del Cristo de Bayaguana festival, which has colonial roots, the faithful congregate for the auction of the bulls and calves that have been donated to the Church, as well as for the Mass and the procession of the Holly Christ. The celebration begins on December 28 with the entrance of the bulls to the Shrine and with the songs of praise by the pilgrims. Horsemen dressed as cowboys ride through the streets and the irreverent sticks its face in a clothes, food and drinks market. The holy image arrived in Bayaguana in 1606 with its founders, uprooted from the towns of Bayah\u00e1 and Yaguana by the Spanish Governor Antonio Osorio.<\/p>\nJanuary 6 \u2013 The Three Wise Men<\/strong><\/p>\nOn this date, Dominican boys and girls wait for the toys that the Three Wise Men from the East, who brought gifts to the little Jesus, will bring to them. The previous night the children put their offerings under their beds, or at the foot of the Christmas trees: candy and cigarettes for the kings and grass and water for the camels. On the 5th<\/sup>, the city of Santo Domingo holds its version of the celebration with a parade of the Three Kings mounted on horseback.<\/p>\nJanuary 21 \u2013 Our Lady of Altagracia<\/strong><\/p>\nThe veneration of the spiritual mother of Dominicans is one of the oldest and most widespread. Her image in oil paint dates back to the late 15th<\/sup> or early 16th<\/sup> century, and goes hand in hand with the foundation of Higuey in 1505. In Santo Domingo this veneration goes back to the La Altagracia chapel of the Nicol\u00e1s de Bari hospital, the first in the New World. The festivities in her honor begin in the Basilica of Hig\u00fcey, starting on January 12 with novenas, prayers, and a great pilgrimage accompanied by drums and call and response songs. The day of La Altagracia is a holiday and the festivities in her honor take place all over the country.<\/p>\nFebruary 2 \u2013 Our Lady of La Candelaria<\/strong><\/p>\nThis title of the Virgin Mary is celebrated in the municipality of Sabana Grande de Boy\u00e1, in the province of Monte Plata, in the municipality of Guerra, in the province of Santo Domingo, and in the capital district of San Carlos.<\/p>\n
February 16 \u2013 Saint Elijah or the Baron of the Cemetery<\/strong><\/p>\nThe blending of popular religious beliefs have named St. Elias as the Baron of the Cemetery and the head of the Gued\u00e9 Division. The first deceased that is buried in each cemetery is identified as this Baron and the faithful offer him food, flowers, candles, songs and prayers.<\/p>\n
March 3 and 4 \u2013 San Benito de Palermo<\/strong><\/p>\nThe community of Guayabal, in the province of Azua, marks San Benito\u2019s festivity with prayers, music, food and dances. At the conclusion of a novena, they lift the saints from the altar, dance with them at the beat of sticks and perico ripiao, and walk with them through sacred places such as the Gajo de la Cruz on the Gajo Alto hill.<\/p>\n
March-April \u2013 Lent and Holy Week<\/strong><\/p>\nLent begins on “Ash Wednesday” with the imposition of ashes on the foreheads of the faithful who attend Mass, and continues with 40 days of fasting and prayer, in preparation of Holy Week. Believers do not eat meat on Fridays and the traditional dishes are cod, fish, vegetables and candied beans.<\/p>\n
The central celebrations of the Holy Week are held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the festivity of the Pascal Triduum, which, by law, have been declared a holiday.<\/p>\n
On Good Friday the Catholic Church commemorates Christ\u2019s Passion and Death, with acts of prostration, church services, universal prayer, adoration of the Holy Cross and communion, and the famous sermon of the Seven Words.<\/p>\n
In the sugar bateyes, popular religios beliefs are expressed, starting on Holy Thursday and ending on Easter Sunday, with celebrations of Gag\u00e1, religious dances of African and Dominican-Haitian influence.<\/p>\n
April 14th – La Dolorita<\/strong><\/p>\nThe most venerated Virgin in the community of Los Morenos, Villa Mella, is honored with singing salves, playing atabales, and prayers.<\/p>\n
April 19th – Saint Expeditus<\/strong><\/p>\nPopular religiosity celebrates the syncretic cult of San Expedito, also called Gued\u00e9 Nib\u00f3, Patron Saint of the family, youth, the elderly and businesses, in particular small businesses, such as grocery stores.<\/p>\n
April 23rd – Saint George<\/strong><\/p>\nOfferings and celebrations of atabales in honor of this saint, also revered as Og\u00fan Badagris, intercessor in financial, social, and family problems.<\/p>\n
May 1st \u2013 Saint Joseph the Worker<\/strong><\/p>\nHe is honored with popular celebrations in Villa Jaragua, province of Bahoruco, and in the church of Ensanche Ozama, in East Santo Domingo.<\/p>\n
May 2nd and 3rd – Sant\u00edsima Cruz de Mayo<\/strong><\/p>\nAncient and popular festivity celebrated since colonial times to honor the cross of Christ. It is customary to decorate crosses, build altars, and make processions to the sound of the atabales and the singing of salves, especially in the provinces of Peravia and San Crist\u00f3bal.<\/p>\n
May 3rd – Saint Philip<\/strong><\/p>\nPatron Saint of the Festivals of Puerto Plata, northern province.<\/p>\n
May 13th – Our Lady of Fatima<\/strong><\/p>\nReligious celebrations in the towns of Villa Sinda, Montecristi; in Galv\u00e1n, Bahoruco province; in the municipality of Arenoso, Duarte province, and in Hondo Valle, Saman\u00e1.<\/p>\n
May 15th – Saint Isidore, the Farmer<\/strong><\/p>\nCelebrations in his honor are held in Castillo, Duarte province; in Luper\u00f3n, Puerto Plata, and in Las Caobas, of Santiago Rodr\u00edguez, among others.<\/p>\n
May 21st (may vary) – Holy Spirit<\/strong><\/p>\nAn ancient celebration that has great relevance in the capital sector of Villa Mella, where the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of los Congos de Villa Mella plays in honor of the Holy Spirit since 1888, date when the town was established. The Brotherhood was declared Oral Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Pentecost. Saint John the Baptist is celebrated in the San Juan batey, located in San Juan de la Maguana.<\/p>\n
May 22nd – Death of Olivorio Mateo<\/strong><\/p>\nAnniversary of the death of the country’s most important messianic leader. His death, in San Juan de la Maguana in 1922, is remembered with parties, processions and the sound of atabales.<\/p>\n
May 30th – Saint Ferdinand<\/strong><\/p>\nPatron Saint festivities commemorating the saint and the foundation of San Fernando de Montecristi, province in the Northwest region.<\/p>\n
June 13th – Saint Anthony of Padua<\/strong><\/p>\nSaint patron of festivals in Bonao, the capital of the Monse\u00f1or Nouel province; in the municipality of Guerra, in the province of Santo Domingo; in La Victoria, National District; Villa Riva, Duarte province; Monci\u00f3n, Santiago Rodr\u00edguez, and in Miches, municipality of El Seibo.<\/p>\n
June 18th – Festivities of the Holy Spirit<\/strong><\/p>\nThe celebrations commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit nationwide, fifty days after Easter, according to Christian liturgy. African-American religious syncretism is expressed by the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of los Congos de Villa Mella, Oral Intangible Heritage of Humanity.<\/p>\n
June 22nd – Corpus Christi Thursday <\/strong><\/p>\nCelebration of the Eucharist staged at the Last Supper in which Jesus Christ declared his body and blood as our bread and wine. It is popularly called \u201cthe day when the ox spoke\u201d to its master for not respecting a holiday.<\/p>\n
June 23rd and 24th – Saint John the Baptist<\/strong><\/p>\nA syncretic colonial tradition that is celebrated in the city of Ban\u00ed with Afro-Dominican music and devotional dances, such as La Sarandunga. Horse rides, the sound of atabales, prayers and the singing of salves are part of the celebrations in San Juan de la Maguana, Santiago, Santo Domingo, Bayaguana and El Naranjo, in the province of Barahona.<\/p>\n
Patron Saint festivities in San Pedro de Macor\u00eds with the participation of Guloyas; in Las Salinas, in Barahona; in El Cercado, in San Juan de la Maguana, and in Fundaci\u00f3n, of the Peravia province.<\/p>\n
July 16th – Our Lady of Carmen<\/strong><\/p>\nOur Lady of Carmen is celebrated with prayers and dances in the communities of Andr\u00e9s, in the National District; Do\u00f1a Ana, in San Crist\u00f3bal; Jarabacoa, in La Vega; Duverg\u00e9, in the province of Independencia; in Santiago Rodr\u00edguez and Villa Trinidad, of the Espaillat province.<\/p>\n
July 25th – Saint James<\/strong><\/p>\nThis celebration, of Spanish origin, is syncretized with Og\u00fan Baleny\u00f3, warrior and head of the 21 Dominican Division, identified with the color blue. His consort is Metresili, voodoo deity.<\/p>\n
July 26th – Saint Anne<\/strong><\/p>\nPatron Saint festivals of Navarrete, Enriquillo and San Francisco de Macor\u00eds. Traditionally, peasants from San Francisco de Macor\u00eds entered the churches singing salves and playing atabales. The popular religiosity syncretizes the Saint with Ana Pye Dant\u00f3, mistress of love, whose color is yellow.<\/p>\n
August 4th – Santo Domingo de Guzm\u00e1n<\/strong><\/p>\nFestivals in honor of the Patron Saint of the city of Santo Domingo and Patron Saint of festivals in Matanzas, community of the Peravia province.<\/p>\n
August 10th – Saint Lawrence<\/strong><\/p>\nCelebrations in the Los Mina area, in East Santo Domingo. The populous slum was founded in the seventeenth century by Cimarron slaves.<\/p>\n
August 14 – Offering of the Bulls of Hig\u00fcey<\/strong><\/p>\nBulls arrive at Bas\u00edlica Menor Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de La Altagracia in Hig\u00fcey with songs, prayers and salves, an offering to the Virgin from her grateful followers.<\/p>\n
August 15th – <\/strong>Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de Agua Santa<\/strong><\/p>\nResidents of Boy\u00e1, in San Crist\u00f3bal, celebrate this invocation of the Virgin.<\/p>\n
August 18th – <\/strong>Saint Helena and Saint Bartholomew<\/strong><\/p>\nFestivities in Cabral, province of Barahona.<\/p>\n
August 30th – Saint Rose of Lima<\/strong><\/p>\nPatron Saint festival of the province of La Romana in honor of the saint who, according to oral tradition, was conceived in this city, but was born in Peru, where her parents emigrated.<\/p>\n
August 31st – Saint Raymond Nonnatus<\/strong><\/p>\nCelebrations to the patron of midwives and pregnant women.<\/p>\n
September 7th and 8th – Our Lady of Los Remedios<\/strong><\/p>\nCelebrations in her honor in the provinces of Azua and Dajab\u00f3n, and in Cabral, municipality of the province of Barahona.<\/p>\n
The New Year celebration begins shortly before midnight on December 31st<\/sup> with family and street parties, or in nightclubs. To attract good luck, some Dominicans traditionally dress in white, wear new outfits, burn incense, paint their houses and buy new household goods.<\/p>\n Holy Christ of the Bayaguana Miracles<\/strong><\/p>\n On January 1st<\/sup>, at the conclusion of the Los Toros del Cristo de Bayaguana festival, which has colonial roots, the faithful congregate for the auction of the bulls and calves that have been donated to the Church, as well as for the Mass and the procession of the Holly Christ. The celebration begins on December 28 with the entrance of the bulls to the Shrine and with the songs of praise by the pilgrims. Horsemen dressed as cowboys ride through the streets and the irreverent sticks its face in a clothes, food and drinks market. The holy image arrived in Bayaguana in 1606 with its founders, uprooted from the towns of Bayah\u00e1 and Yaguana by the Spanish Governor Antonio Osorio.<\/p>\n January 6 \u2013 The Three Wise Men<\/strong><\/p>\n On this date, Dominican boys and girls wait for the toys that the Three Wise Men from the East, who brought gifts to the little Jesus, will bring to them. The previous night the children put their offerings under their beds, or at the foot of the Christmas trees: candy and cigarettes for the kings and grass and water for the camels. On the 5th<\/sup>, the city of Santo Domingo holds its version of the celebration with a parade of the Three Kings mounted on horseback.<\/p>\n January 21 \u2013 Our Lady of Altagracia<\/strong><\/p>\n The veneration of the spiritual mother of Dominicans is one of the oldest and most widespread. Her image in oil paint dates back to the late 15th<\/sup> or early 16th<\/sup> century, and goes hand in hand with the foundation of Higuey in 1505. In Santo Domingo this veneration goes back to the La Altagracia chapel of the Nicol\u00e1s de Bari hospital, the first in the New World. The festivities in her honor begin in the Basilica of Hig\u00fcey, starting on January 12 with novenas, prayers, and a great pilgrimage accompanied by drums and call and response songs. The day of La Altagracia is a holiday and the festivities in her honor take place all over the country.<\/p>\n February 2 \u2013 Our Lady of La Candelaria<\/strong><\/p>\n This title of the Virgin Mary is celebrated in the municipality of Sabana Grande de Boy\u00e1, in the province of Monte Plata, in the municipality of Guerra, in the province of Santo Domingo, and in the capital district of San Carlos.<\/p>\n February 16 \u2013 Saint Elijah or the Baron of the Cemetery<\/strong><\/p>\n The blending of popular religious beliefs have named St. Elias as the Baron of the Cemetery and the head of the Gued\u00e9 Division. The first deceased that is buried in each cemetery is identified as this Baron and the faithful offer him food, flowers, candles, songs and prayers.<\/p>\n March 3 and 4 \u2013 San Benito de Palermo<\/strong><\/p>\n The community of Guayabal, in the province of Azua, marks San Benito\u2019s festivity with prayers, music, food and dances. At the conclusion of a novena, they lift the saints from the altar, dance with them at the beat of sticks and perico ripiao, and walk with them through sacred places such as the Gajo de la Cruz on the Gajo Alto hill.<\/p>\n March-April \u2013 Lent and Holy Week<\/strong><\/p>\n Lent begins on “Ash Wednesday” with the imposition of ashes on the foreheads of the faithful who attend Mass, and continues with 40 days of fasting and prayer, in preparation of Holy Week. Believers do not eat meat on Fridays and the traditional dishes are cod, fish, vegetables and candied beans.<\/p>\n The central celebrations of the Holy Week are held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, the festivity of the Pascal Triduum, which, by law, have been declared a holiday.<\/p>\n On Good Friday the Catholic Church commemorates Christ\u2019s Passion and Death, with acts of prostration, church services, universal prayer, adoration of the Holy Cross and communion, and the famous sermon of the Seven Words.<\/p>\n In the sugar bateyes, popular religios beliefs are expressed, starting on Holy Thursday and ending on Easter Sunday, with celebrations of Gag\u00e1, religious dances of African and Dominican-Haitian influence.<\/p>\n April 14th – La Dolorita<\/strong><\/p>\n The most venerated Virgin in the community of Los Morenos, Villa Mella, is honored with singing salves, playing atabales, and prayers.<\/p>\n April 19th – Saint Expeditus<\/strong><\/p>\n Popular religiosity celebrates the syncretic cult of San Expedito, also called Gued\u00e9 Nib\u00f3, Patron Saint of the family, youth, the elderly and businesses, in particular small businesses, such as grocery stores.<\/p>\n April 23rd – Saint George<\/strong><\/p>\n Offerings and celebrations of atabales in honor of this saint, also revered as Og\u00fan Badagris, intercessor in financial, social, and family problems.<\/p>\n May 1st \u2013 Saint Joseph the Worker<\/strong><\/p>\n He is honored with popular celebrations in Villa Jaragua, province of Bahoruco, and in the church of Ensanche Ozama, in East Santo Domingo.<\/p>\n May 2nd and 3rd – Sant\u00edsima Cruz de Mayo<\/strong><\/p>\n Ancient and popular festivity celebrated since colonial times to honor the cross of Christ. It is customary to decorate crosses, build altars, and make processions to the sound of the atabales and the singing of salves, especially in the provinces of Peravia and San Crist\u00f3bal.<\/p>\n May 3rd – Saint Philip<\/strong><\/p>\n Patron Saint of the Festivals of Puerto Plata, northern province.<\/p>\n May 13th – Our Lady of Fatima<\/strong><\/p>\n Religious celebrations in the towns of Villa Sinda, Montecristi; in Galv\u00e1n, Bahoruco province; in the municipality of Arenoso, Duarte province, and in Hondo Valle, Saman\u00e1.<\/p>\n May 15th – Saint Isidore, the Farmer<\/strong><\/p>\n Celebrations in his honor are held in Castillo, Duarte province; in Luper\u00f3n, Puerto Plata, and in Las Caobas, of Santiago Rodr\u00edguez, among others.<\/p>\n May 21st (may vary) – Holy Spirit<\/strong><\/p>\n An ancient celebration that has great relevance in the capital sector of Villa Mella, where the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of los Congos de Villa Mella plays in honor of the Holy Spirit since 1888, date when the town was established. The Brotherhood was declared Oral Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The Catholic Church celebrates the feast of Pentecost. Saint John the Baptist is celebrated in the San Juan batey, located in San Juan de la Maguana.<\/p>\n May 22nd – Death of Olivorio Mateo<\/strong><\/p>\n Anniversary of the death of the country’s most important messianic leader. His death, in San Juan de la Maguana in 1922, is remembered with parties, processions and the sound of atabales.<\/p>\n May 30th – Saint Ferdinand<\/strong><\/p>\n Patron Saint festivities commemorating the saint and the foundation of San Fernando de Montecristi, province in the Northwest region.<\/p>\n June 13th – Saint Anthony of Padua<\/strong><\/p>\n Saint patron of festivals in Bonao, the capital of the Monse\u00f1or Nouel province; in the municipality of Guerra, in the province of Santo Domingo; in La Victoria, National District; Villa Riva, Duarte province; Monci\u00f3n, Santiago Rodr\u00edguez, and in Miches, municipality of El Seibo.<\/p>\n June 18th – Festivities of the Holy Spirit<\/strong><\/p>\n The celebrations commemorate the coming of the Holy Spirit nationwide, fifty days after Easter, according to Christian liturgy. African-American religious syncretism is expressed by the Brotherhood of the Holy Spirit of los Congos de Villa Mella, Oral Intangible Heritage of Humanity.<\/p>\n June 22nd – Corpus Christi Thursday <\/strong><\/p>\n Celebration of the Eucharist staged at the Last Supper in which Jesus Christ declared his body and blood as our bread and wine. It is popularly called \u201cthe day when the ox spoke\u201d to its master for not respecting a holiday.<\/p>\n June 23rd and 24th – Saint John the Baptist<\/strong><\/p>\n A syncretic colonial tradition that is celebrated in the city of Ban\u00ed with Afro-Dominican music and devotional dances, such as La Sarandunga. Horse rides, the sound of atabales, prayers and the singing of salves are part of the celebrations in San Juan de la Maguana, Santiago, Santo Domingo, Bayaguana and El Naranjo, in the province of Barahona.<\/p>\n Patron Saint festivities in San Pedro de Macor\u00eds with the participation of Guloyas; in Las Salinas, in Barahona; in El Cercado, in San Juan de la Maguana, and in Fundaci\u00f3n, of the Peravia province.<\/p>\n July 16th – Our Lady of Carmen<\/strong><\/p>\n Our Lady of Carmen is celebrated with prayers and dances in the communities of Andr\u00e9s, in the National District; Do\u00f1a Ana, in San Crist\u00f3bal; Jarabacoa, in La Vega; Duverg\u00e9, in the province of Independencia; in Santiago Rodr\u00edguez and Villa Trinidad, of the Espaillat province.<\/p>\n July 25th – Saint James<\/strong><\/p>\n This celebration, of Spanish origin, is syncretized with Og\u00fan Baleny\u00f3, warrior and head of the 21 Dominican Division, identified with the color blue. His consort is Metresili, voodoo deity.<\/p>\n July 26th – Saint Anne<\/strong><\/p>\n Patron Saint festivals of Navarrete, Enriquillo and San Francisco de Macor\u00eds. Traditionally, peasants from San Francisco de Macor\u00eds entered the churches singing salves and playing atabales. The popular religiosity syncretizes the Saint with Ana Pye Dant\u00f3, mistress of love, whose color is yellow.<\/p>\n August 4th – Santo Domingo de Guzm\u00e1n<\/strong><\/p>\n Festivals in honor of the Patron Saint of the city of Santo Domingo and Patron Saint of festivals in Matanzas, community of the Peravia province.<\/p>\n August 10th – Saint Lawrence<\/strong><\/p>\n Celebrations in the Los Mina area, in East Santo Domingo. The populous slum was founded in the seventeenth century by Cimarron slaves.<\/p>\n August 14 – Offering of the Bulls of Hig\u00fcey<\/strong><\/p>\n Bulls arrive at Bas\u00edlica Menor Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de La Altagracia in Hig\u00fcey with songs, prayers and salves, an offering to the Virgin from her grateful followers.<\/p>\n August 15th – <\/strong>Nuestra Se\u00f1ora de Agua Santa<\/strong><\/p>\n Residents of Boy\u00e1, in San Crist\u00f3bal, celebrate this invocation of the Virgin.<\/p>\n August 18th – <\/strong>Saint Helena and Saint Bartholomew<\/strong><\/p>\n Festivities in Cabral, province of Barahona.<\/p>\n August 30th – Saint Rose of Lima<\/strong><\/p>\n Patron Saint festival of the province of La Romana in honor of the saint who, according to oral tradition, was conceived in this city, but was born in Peru, where her parents emigrated.<\/p>\n August 31st – Saint Raymond Nonnatus<\/strong><\/p>\n Celebrations to the patron of midwives and pregnant women.<\/p>\n September 7th and 8th – Our Lady of Los Remedios<\/strong><\/p>\n Celebrations in her honor in the provinces of Azua and Dajab\u00f3n, and in Cabral, municipality of the province of Barahona.<\/p>\n