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Dominican Republic Culture
Understanding
various details in the Dominican culture
The
interesting changes in the Dominican Republic culture have been mostly
caused by influence from other countries throughout the history.
Whether you
are visiting or planning a longer trip, you will find that
there are many aspects of the nation which are going to be quite
fascinating to you. The more you know about this beautiful country, the
better your experience will be, so keep a few things regarding the
culture in mind.
When
you are meeting with someone for the first time, a handshake with
direct eye contact is appropriate. If you are invited to a Dominican's home,
it is considered  polite to bring a present, such
a chocolates or pastries. Always avoid gifts that are colored
black
or purple
as they are considered mourning
colors. When going
out, make sure that you
dress
well, though you may be
surprised to note that you do not have to be too timely; being fifteen
to thirty minutes late is still considered being on time. Remember that
meals are served "family style" and always make sure that your
hands
are visible.
If
you want
to make a good impression, you can say some words and phrases in
Spanish - the official language. That will make anyone notice you put
effort in to learning some of it. For example: Buenos Dias
(Good Morning), Buenas Tardes (Good Afternoon), Hola
(Hello), Gracias (thank you), Por favor
(please), No entiendo (I don't understand), Adios
(Bye), Bien (fine), Cuanto (How
much), Un momento (a moment), Por supuesto
(of course), Derecha (Right), Izquierda
(Left).
There are a
variety of religions present in the Dominican
Republic culture. The population is more than 95% Christian, with 88%
of the people being Catholic and 4% being Protestant. Because
of some immigration and mission efforts, those of the Spiritist,
Buddhist, Islamic, and Ba'hai faiths may be seen
as well. During World War 2, Jews fleeing from Europe settled
in the Dominican Republic and founded the city of Sosua, which became
the center of Jewish religion in the country.
 The Dominican
Republic is widely credited for the creation of
the merengue, and it was largely Dominican
musicians who made
this
lively dance music so famous in the United States. Bachata
has
also grown in
popularity over the years, and in many cases, it focuses on
bitterness of
human experience, which leads to many calling it by the original name
of amargue, which means
“bitterness.” Dominican rap has become a
particularly wide spread genre as well, and takes influence
from hip-hop influenced beats.
This country
has the second most players in the Major League Baseball, and some of
the game's best players have been Dominican. Baseball is,
without a doubt, one of the most popular sports
in the Dominican Republic culture, and following close after is
boxing. The Dominican Republic has produced some of the most
famous boxers out there, including Joan Guzman and Juan Carlos
Payano.
Take some
time to learn a little more about this deeply charming country.
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