Party Like a Puerto Rican: Your Parranda Kit

You’ve never experienced navidad like this! The holiday season in Puerto Rico is long, festive, rowdy, and joyful. Kicking off at the beginning of December and lasting well until the second week of January (through the major gift giving day of Dia de los Reyes on January 6), the holidays are weeks of parties, dinners, and of course, parrandas.

The parrandas are often described as the Puerto Rican version of caroling but it’s an experience that doesn’t quite translate. There’s nothing hushed or calm about parrandas. These trullas navidenas, as they are also called, are all night traveling parties.

Here’s the way it works: a group of friends gather at a meeting point, usually after 10 pm, all with their own instruments (guitars, palitos, guiros, tamboriles, marracas, and more) and make their way to a missing friend’s house. They quietly assemble outside the front door and then start singing songs called aguinaldos navidenos. They’re rhythmic, they’re loud, and you don’t stop until the host opens the door (woken by the raucous) and invites the group in for food and drink.

The party lasts for about an hour, long enough for snacks and for the host to change and join you – there are more friends to asaltar or surprise. The traveling crew moves from house to house, singing, snacking, and drinking until their final stop, usually around 3 or 4 am. There the host invites them in for a full meal, traditional asopao.

Asopao is like a chicken soup but so much more. It’s a thick, hearty mix of rice, root vegetables, and whatever protein you have in the fridge. More people at your door? Add water to the soup, the parties just starting.

Know that every parranda will take on the sabor of the leaders and every new guest will add a little more sazon and there are as many parranda songs as there are recipes for flan. As a good parrandero you should either know the lyrics or just have a few handouts to share, bring an instrument, and sport a pava like a true jibaro (a straw hat like a true farmer).

As a host, know that you’ll never be surprised if you don’t want it – there are usually lots of nod-nod-wink-winks before a parranda. Have some ready-to-heat snacks handy and since it’s the holiday season, you’ll probably have much of it ready anyways. Always make a few bottles of coquito to keep in the fridge and freeze extra apps when you first make them.

But most of all, remember this: entertaining in Puerto Rico is meant to be familial and easy. Put out what you have, get dressed, and join the party.

Here are a few of our favorite songs (and click here for an even bigger guide):

Pobre Lechón

This song is… graphic. And direct. Like the title suggests, the lyrics of this song cover what happened to that poor pig and how it ended up on your kitchen table. It’s short and quick and definitely paints a picture. And of course, there’s only dish this song brings to mind: the classic pernil.

Ese pobre lechón
Se murió de repente
Con un tajo en la frente
Y otro en el corazón
Lo metieron al horno
lo sacaron caliente
Le metieron diente
A ese probre lechón. [pagebreak]

Si No Me Dan De Beber

Listen, you can’t be expected to make it all night without a drink. A little rum keeps the festivities light hearted and fuels the merriment. And when someone knocks on your door singing that if they don’t get a drink, they’ll cry, then you have only one option: coquito.

Si no me dan de beber lloro, 
si no me dan de beber lloro, 
si no me dan de beber lloro, 
si no me dan de beber

Repeat 2X

Esta era la casa, que yo te decía, 
ésta era la casa que yo te decía, 
Donde a la parranda dan mucha comida, 
donde a la parranda dan mucha comida

Repeat Chorus

Prendiste la luz, metiste la pata, 
Prendiste la luz, metiste la pata, 
Porque ahora sabemos que estás en tu casa 
Porque ahora sabemos que estás en tu casa —

Repeat Chorus [pagebreak]

De La Montana Venimos

This song makes a great ending to your parranda. While there’s no traditional order to songs (it’s a party, there are no rules), the lyrics in this song mention it’s already 3 am and you haven’t had a drop of coffee all night. Sing this and expect to get the classic end-of-night, welcome-in-the-dawn dish of asopao and cafe.

De la montaña venimos
para invitarte a comer
un lechoncito en su vara
y ron pitorro a beber . . .

Repeat Chorus

Ay, doña María,
ay, compai José
ábranme la puerta,
que los quiero ver;
ábrame, compai,
que ya son las tres
y yo no he tomado
gota de café…

Repeat Chorus 2X