Holidays in Puerto Rico
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The following is a list of national holidays in Puerto Rico. All official and nation-wide public holidays in Puerto Rico are determined by the state and coincide with holidays of the United States. However, there are innumerable local holidays celebrated at each town, such as the Patron Feasts.
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Public holidays
| Date | English name | Local name (in Spanish) | Remarks |
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| January 1 | New Year's Day | Año Nuevo | Celebratory gunfire during the holiday (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5350a2.htm) leads to one or two deaths and about 20 injuries each year, mostly within public housing areas |
| First Monday in January | Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. | Nacimiento de Martin Luther King, Jr. Conmemoración del Natalicio de Martin Luther King, Jr. |
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| Third Monday in February | Washington's Birthday | Día de Washington Natalicio de Washington |
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| July 4 | Independence Day | 4 de Julio Día de la Independencia |
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| July 25 | Commonwealth of Puerto Rico | 25 de Julio Conmemoración del ELA |
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| First Monday in September | Labor Day | Día del Trabajo | |
| Second Monday in October | Columbus Day | Descubrimiento de América | |
| November 11 | Veteran's Day | Día del Veterano Día de la Recordación |
Official national celebration held at the Puerto Rico National Cemetery. |
| Fourth Thursday in November | Thanksgiving Day | Acción de Gracias Día de Acción de Gracias |
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| December 25 | Christmas | Día de Navidad Navidad |
Delivery day of Santa Claus. Traditionally, Santa Claus will leave the Christmas presents under the Christmas tree. However, children do not leave "milk and cookies" for Santa. |
Religious holidays
| Date | English name | Local name (in Spanish) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 5 | Three Wise Men Eve | Víspera de los Tres Reyes Magos | Children leave a box with grass for the camels of the Three Wise Men and a glass of water for the men themselves. |
| January 6 | Three Kings Day | Día de los Tres Reyes Magos | Children find that the camels ate the grass and the Three Kings drank the water left for them by the kids the day before. Also, they have left presents under the bed. |
| First day of Lent | Ash Wednesday | Miércoles de Ceniza | |
| Palm Sunday through Easter | Holy Week | Semana Santa | Most schools, colleges, and universities give the complete week as a recess to students. |
| Sunday before Easter Sunday | Palm Sunday | Domingo de Ramos | |
| Friday before Easter | Good Friday | Viernes Santo | |
| The Date of Easter | Easter | Domingo de la Resurrección | |
| December 24 | Christmas Eve | Nochebuena Día de Nochebuena |
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| December 31 | New Year's Eve | Año Viejo Fin de Año |
Others
| Date | English name | Local name (in Spanish) | Remarks |
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| February 14 | Valentine's Day | San Valentin Día de San Valentin |
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| Second Sunday in May | Mother's Day | Día de las Madres | |
| Third Sunday in June | Father's Day | Día de los Padres | |
| October 31 | Halloween | Halloween Día de las Brujas |