Last Thursday, December 8th, Esperanza’s Housing and Economic Development Department and the Esperanza Community Anti-Poverty Project hosted its first Parranda on the Corridor event of the year outside of Maria’s Restaurant on North 5th street. The event was part of a holiday-themed series highlighting the cultural and economic assets of the neighborhood, free of charge to the public.
Thursday’s Parranda included live music from Marino de Jesus y Su Comando 7 and entertainment from Alfredo Polanco, both widely known acts in the local Dominican community. Additionally, food was provided by Maria’s Restaurant and hot tea by Las Tres Rancheritas, two minority-owned businesses from the local area. There were close to 100 people in attendance and roughly 80 plates of food were given to community residents and neighbors.
As part of a partnership with the Rockefeller Foundation, Esperanza provided critical anti-poverty resources to community members who attended the parranda. Gift bags included information on how to get free legal help from Community Legal Services (CLS) and resources on how to handle the upcoming increase in property taxes, with members from CLS and Esperanza on sight to answer questions from residents.
The second and final Parranda of the season will take place Friday, December 16th from 6:00 PM-7:30 PM, at Marz Auto, 4518 N. 5th Street
A whole pork, or lechón, will be roasted during the event. The entrainment for the night will feature Los Bomberos de la Calle, a local music group playing traditional Puerto Rican bomba and plena music, and María del Pilar, who’s been a fixture of local Spanish radio and TV for more than 33 years. They will culminate with a procession to Esperanza’s Teatro in time for the Christmas in El Barrio production taking place later that evening. Rafael Alvarez-Febo, Esperanza’s Vice President for Advocacy and Community Development told Impacto “Our team was very happy to continue hosting these parrandas (in 2022) which we hope will become a neighborhood tradition. We want Hunting Park residents to feel the holiday spirit just a short walk from their homes with businesses they know and trust.”
Parrandas are a form of Christmas caroling that originated in 1820 in Remedios, Cuba when a priest noticed a lack of attendance at mass during the holiday season. The priest had to think creatively to get more parishioners to attend mass. The priest came up with a great idea. He encouraged children to go out onto the streets with loud instruments such as cans, horns, and rattles to attract churchgoers who were passing by. His plan was successful, as more people attended church. As time progressed, bands started to play music on the streets, and some would compete for the best performance. Parrandas then continued to spread to other areas in Cuba, and they reflect the identity of each town. Specifically, parrandas and can involve different costumes, fireworks, and holiday decorations based on the area.
In Puerto Rico, parrandas (or trullas) are a tradition that involves a group of people going unannounced door to door at night and playing Puerto Rican Christmas songs. The group is then invited inside the home to eat and drink typical Latino Christmas food and drinks such as pasteles, lechón and traditional beverages. As the night continues, the trulla will add more members and continue to other neighboring homes until the early hours of the next day.
