Saturday, Dec. 17 is proving to be a festive day in Chicago’s Latino neighborhoods. The Puerto Ricans and Mexicans are each kicking off the holiday season with music, food and entertainment, their way.

The heart of Chicago’s Puerto Rican community lies in Humboldt Park. Between the world’s largest Puerto Rican flags on Division Street is AfriCaribe Cultural Center, an 11-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation, research, promotion and development of the Puerto Rican and Caribbean cultures through music, dance, theatre and other artistic mediums. For the last several years, organizers at this center have put together a parranda, the Puerto Rican version of Christmas caroling.

This year, AfriCaribe’s parranda will be housed in one place and promises an arts and crafts sale, café con leche, sweets and the infamous coquito, a unique coconut and rum beverage typically served during the holiday time. The community is invited to celebrate by bringing their guiros, panderetas, and bomba drums to play along to the aguinaldos, or traditional Christmas songs sung throughout the island during this time of year. Everyone is welcome to get up and dance bomba, an African-derived folkloric music in Puerto Rico.

Drive 15 minutes down Western Avenue and you will find Pilsen, Chicago’s Mexican neighborhood. This year, community members have organized a posada, the re-enactment of Mary and Joseph seeking shelter on their way from Nazareth to Bethlehem. This event, however, will have a few twists. This posada will feature traditional elements, complete with children dressed as Mary and Joseph and a local pup as the burro, as well as music of their own. The Jarochicanos, a group of 6-to 21-year-olds who call Pilsen their home, will perform jarocho, folkloric music from Veracruz. It will begin at Tonantzin Community Arts and Cultural Gallery on ...