Customs+and+Traditions

=__Cuba __= = = Cuban **Music** is a very popular cultural tradition and custom that is found everywhere in Cuba. Dancing is loved throughout the country, especially in the 19th and 20th centuries. A lot of types of dancing originated in Cuba, but the main type was salsa dancing. It was called "casino" back then. They also had classic ballet, jazz, rock, and this thing called "timba-jazz." =Salsa dancing Ballet  Jazz=

There is such a thing as **commandments** in Cuban life and they are called the **16 Laws of Ifa.** Those laws forbid the people of Cuba to reveal secrets and to betray friends. They command people to respect elders and hierarchies, and not to pretend to be wise when you are not. These laws were made by the Orunmila.

The common **foods** that Cubans eat and have had in their country are black beans, white rice, fried sliced banana, yellow rice, citrus marinades, garlic, etc. Their food is made from authentic traditional recipes. They use spices such as Cayenne, Cumin, and Coriander. Cuba does not use milk and cream products in heavy sauces because they are expensive to purchase and hard to store. On the other hand, pork and chicken is commonly used because it is cheap and easy to store in the country. **Citrus Marinade Cayenne Pepper Fried Sliced Banana** Cuba's own culture is a unique fusion of the various nations that have had an influence on the lives of people on the island. It is said that Cuba has one of the coolest "dress senses" in the world. The main **clothes** worn in Cuba is the Guayabera which is like what they use as their trademark. Mainly guys wear the guayabera which is also known as a Havana shirt. It's not a shirt you tuck into your pants, it has two to four pockets, it can be short or long sleeve, and it has a collar. **Guayabera** Women wear the guayabera dress which looks just like the male guayabera shirt except in dress form. **Guayabera Dress** __**Puerto Rico **__

Puerto Rican **Music** is probably the predominant Caribbean music heard in the United States. Many instruments are used to create music by the people such as Spanish and Africans music can also be heard in Puerto Rico music. Some instruments from Puerto Rico are the requinto, the bordonua, the cuatro, and the triple, which are types of guitars. They all adapted from the six-string Spanish classical guitar. Other ones are tambourines, maracas, etc. Different types of music in Puerto Rico are classical, folk, bomba y plena, salsa, and today's music. For example, Ricky Martin is one of the most famous Latin artists in the world. **Cuatro Maracas Ricky Martin** Some Puerto Rican **traditions** such as weddings has the priest bless a plate of coins and then give them to the groom. Then he gives the coins to the bride after they say their vows as a gift and it represents good luck and prosperity. Christmas in Puerto Rico is another special tradition that is celebrated much differently than ours. In Puerto Rico, it starts in early December and doesn't stop until the 25th. They pretend to be jibaros from camp during Christmas and have straw hats in storage for Christmas. They Christmas carol late at night till early in the morning and when dinner comes they roast pig on a stick and have lots of other special foods. Puerto Ricans have folklore and many legends too about ghost tales and demons that roam the island after dark, pursuing people or food or else protecting gold that pirates long ago stashed away. These are only a couple of their many traditions or customs. **Coins Pig on Stick Puerto Rican Demon** Puerto Rican **food** uses ingredients and seasonings such as papaya, cacao (tropical american tree that produces beans), apio (potato bean), coriander (herb), nispero (fruit tree), plantains (bananas), and yampee (yam). Some appetizers and soups they have in Puerto Rico are empanadillas, surullitos, bacalaitos and frijoles negros. The main dishes served usually are carne guisada puertorriqena (beef stew), pastelon de carne (meat pies), sesos empanados (breaded calfs brains), rinones guisados (calfs kidneys), etc. There are special desserts there called orange layer cake, guava cake, flan, coconut bread pudding, and many more. They drink rum, puerto rican coffee, beer, pina colodas, and sangria. **Papaya Pastelon de Carne Orange Layer Cake Pina Colada** Some people would say when you go to Puerto Rico, that you are going to **dress** for a "fortress city." In Old San Juan, men enjoy walking around the cobblestone streets shirtless while the women walk around in their bikini tops. The locals never approve of this dress because they would rather have them wear sleeveless shirts. Women often wear cotton skirts or clothes that would indicate their social status. Woman's Cotton Skirt**
 * [[image:https://www.blacks.co.uk/mantiki/images/product/large/160457-20-1240478897807.jpg width="320" height="301"]]Man's Sleeved Shirt