If you think Christmas lasts a day, the Dominican Republic will correct you. Decorations go up in October, the merengue Christmas songs start on the radio soon after, and the season runs all the way to January 6. In between there are office parties, family dinners, gift swaps, music in the street, and the biggest night of the year, Nochebuena.
Here is how Dominicans celebrate it, and where a visitor should spend it.
The season, from October to January 6#
- October–November: decorations go up in homes, malls and parks. The Christmas music starts.
- Early December: parties with friends and at work. The angelito gift exchanges begin.
- By December 20: employers must pay the salario de Navidad, the Christmas salary, which everyone calls the doble sueldo. It is why December spending peaks.
- December 24, Nochebuena: the big family dinner. This, not the 25th, is the main event.
- December 25: a quieter day, often spent recovering and visiting family.
- December 31: New Year's Eve, with fireworks and parties.
- January 6, Día de los Santos Reyes: Three Kings Day, when children traditionally get their gifts.
- January 21: Día de la Altagracia, the Virgin of Altagracia, with the pilgrimage to Higüey. More in our Altagracia guide.
The traditions#
Angelitos. The Dominican secret Santa. Names are drawn, and for weeks people leave small gifts for their angelito before the final reveal at a party.
Aguinaldos. Groups go from house to house singing Christmas songs, sometimes late at night or at dawn, and are given food and drink in return.
Music. Merengue and bachata Christmas songs everywhere: colmados, cars, malls and every family party.
Family. Many Dominicans who live abroad, in New York, Miami, Spain, fly home for December, and the airports fill up.
The Nochebuena dinner#
The table on December 24 usually has:
- Roast pork, often slow-roasted, the centrepiece
- Moro de guandules, rice with pigeon peas
- Ensalada rusa, Dominican potato salad
- Pasteles en hoja, wrapped and boiled like tamales
- Telera, the soft Christmas bread
- Apples and grapes, traditional on the table
- To drink: ponche (eggnog-style) and jengibre, hot ginger tea
Dinner starts late and runs past midnight.
Where to spend it#
Santo Domingo. The capital is where the season feels most Dominican: lights in the parks and the Zona Colonial, family streets full of music, and Nochebuena in people's homes. See the Santo Domingo city guide and whether Santo Domingo is safe.
Santiago. The second city, and the place many families go home to.
Punta Cana and the beaches. Christmas and New Year are the busiest, most expensive weeks of the year at the resorts, and it is dry, warm and sunny. What it's really like, and when to book: Christmas and New Year's in Punta Cana.
Tips for visitors#
- Book early. Flights fill with Dominicans flying home, and resort prices peak.
- Expect closures on the 25th and January 1. Restaurants in tourist areas stay open; many local businesses do not.
- Say yes to an invitation. If a Dominican family invites you to Nochebuena, it is a real invitation, and the best way to see Christmas here.
- Weather: December is dry season. See the best time to visit the Dominican Republic.
The easiest way into a Dominican Christmas is to spend an evening with someone who lives there. Find a Local Friend in Santo Domingo or in Punta Cana. For more festivals through the year, see the events calendar.
Coming from the US? The Americans in the Dominican Republic guide covers entry, money and what's different.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Dominicans celebrate Christmas?
With a long season of parties, music and family. The main celebration is Nochebuena on December 24, a big family dinner that runs late. Friends and colleagues exchange gifts as angelitos, groups sing aguinaldos, and the season ends on January 6, Three Kings Day.What do Dominicans eat at Christmas?
Nochebuena dinner usually includes roast pork, moro de guandules (rice with pigeon peas), ensalada rusa (potato salad), pasteles en hoja, and telera bread, with ponche and ginger tea (jengibre) to drink. Apples and grapes are traditional on the table.When does Christmas start in the Dominican Republic?
Decorations and Christmas music often appear in October, and the parties build through December. Many people receive the 'doble sueldo', the Christmas salary employers must pay by December 20, which is why December spending peaks.Is the Dominican Republic busy at Christmas?
Yes. The weeks around Christmas and New Year are peak season at the resorts, with the highest prices of the year. Many Dominicans living abroad also fly home, so flights fill early. Book well ahead.
