The feast is in honor of the Dominican Patroness or Our Lady of the Highest Grace, which is the patron virgin of the Dominican Republic. The celebration commemorates the hero of Dominican Republic independence from Haiti, and who was the first of the three founding fathers of the country. Dominican Republic celebrates its Independence from Haiti and also coincides with the beginning of the Dominican Carnival, which is the pre-Lenten celebration. This is one of the national holidays in Dominican Republic that is also celebrated in most Spanish-speaking countries, which is comparable to the U.S. Labor Day. In a lot of Catholic countries, people attend the midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and prepare traditional food which is an integral part of the holiday. However, it is important to take note that for most Dominicans, Christmas day is not a big deal even if it’s a national holiday. The real Dominican Nativity is celebrated on Christmas Eve which is the time when the family gets together to share a late-night dinner or La Nochebuena with plenty of foods and too much to drink like American Thanksgiving dinner.

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