Updated Travel Regulations June 2009!

If you've already booked a trip to Puerto Rico, make sure that you have a bead on the new travel restrictions that are going into effect in June 2009.

The major change for travelers from the United States will be that they will need a passport after June 1, 2009 to re-enter the country. This means if you visited a country you previously didn't need a passport for such as the Caribbean, Mexico, Canada or Bermuda either by air or ship, you will now need a passport to come back into the United States.

Failure to have a passport will result in being denied re-entry until a passport is acquired. The passport process in Canada and Mexico can take weeks and in Bermuda it can take up to 3 months on the average. If you don't want to extend your vacation (and let's face it - your boss really will mind) - make sure you have your passport up to date and have it with you whenever you travel.

Christmas in Puerto Rico

Image by scaturchio via Flickr
If you are an individual that is really into the Christmas holidays, but you really do not want to spend them in the United States, you may want to seriously consider Puerto Rico. Not only would you get to enjoy all of the Puerto Rican Christmas traditions, but you could also do so while enjoying the warm weather and sandy beaches. A Puerto Rican Christmas doesn't traditionally last only twelve days, as many of the festivities begin in November and last far into the New Year. There are some beautiful island traditions that are included in the festivities and well known through out Puerto Rico.

In Puerto Rico, beginning on December 15th and ending on December 24th, the local churches hold something called misas de aguinaldo. These are masses that begin at dawn and feature the singing of Christmas Carols, which are called aguinaldos. As far as festivities that include aguinaldos are concerned, Puerto Rican Christmas carolers are definitely not in short supply. Carolers, locally translated as parranada begin their neighborhood treks in late November and they continue into January. If you are someone that truly enjoys listening to Christmas Carlos and loves the thought of this Christmas tradition, spending a vacation being able to listen to these eager carolers may be just the treat you are looking for.

While Christmas Day is huge in Puerto Rico, Christmas Eve is even more popular. This does not exclude the feasts that is prepared for this festive holiday. On Christmas Eve a traditional Puerto Rican dinner awaits the table of most all of Puerto Rico's inhabitants. It is typically a dinner that consists of roasted pork and rice and beans. If you are tired of the traditional Christmas turkey and dressing, this traditional Puerto Rican feast may be a very welcome part of your Puerto Rican holiday.

After the traditional Puerto Rico feast, individuals attend a midnight mass, which is known in the native language as Misa de Gallo or Rooster's Mass. This mass comes complete with Christmas music and possibly a live nativity scene.

If you can extend your Puerto Rico holiday trip into the New Year, you will have a chance to enjoy Ano Viejo, which is New Year's Eve. The natives enjoy fireworks and a tradition of eating twelve grapes at the stroke of midnight. Eating the grapes is supposed to bring good luck for the New Year. If you look closely, you can also witness some individuals sprinkling sugar in their front yards. This is also a traditional good luck practice. You can also take part in the annual party that is thrown by the Puerto Rico Tourism Co.

As you can see, Puerto Rico has much more to offer than just sandy beaches and warm calming waters. If you aren't sure that you want to spend Christmas at home this year, try looking into a Puerto Rican Christmas Vacation. Odds are you will be very pleased with all of the festivities that you can participate in and will have a Christmas you will never forget.