Contents Welcome to Cuba 4 Birthdays and Quinceañara 6 Weddings 8 Celebrating the Arts 10 New Year and Liberation Day 12 José Martí’s Birthday Memorial 14 Good Friday and Easter 16 May Day 18 Independence Day 20 Children’s Day 22 National Revolution Day 24 Carnival of Santiago de Cuba 26 Anniversary of the Beginning of the Wars of Independence 28 Christmas and Epiphany 30 Glossary and Index 32
atlantic ocean the bahamas USA gulf of mexico havana cuba caribbean sea haiti jamaica Welcome to Cuba The Republic of Cuba is a group of tropical islands It includes the largest island in the Caribbean Cuba is surrounded by three large bodies of water the Caribbean Sea the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico More than 11 million people call Cuba home The country’s official language is Spanish There are many special cultural traditions or customs in Cuba Cubans sometimes call their country El Cocodrilo which is Spanish for crocodile because the island appears to have the shape of a crocodile 4
Cuba’s traditions come from its many different cultures such as Spanish African French South American and Taíno The Taíno are Indigenous people native to Cuba Most holidays focus on special events in Cuba’s history or religious celebrations Celebrations often include traditional music and dances Did You Know Music and dance are an important part of Cuban culture The dancers in this picture are performing a dance called the Salsa Cuba’s colorful busy capital city is called Havana 5
