Mi Casa, Mi Navidad: Discover Puerto Rico’s Holiday Experience
- Tyzza Macias
- 12 hours ago
- 5 min read
Puerto Rico doesn’t simply celebrate Christmas; it lives it. The Island’s holiday season stretches far beyond December, unfolding as a long, joyful arc of music, storytelling, and family traditions that continue well into the new year. Now, Discover Puerto Rico, the Island's official Destination Marketing Organization, is turning that lived experience into a digital one.
In celebration of the longest holiday season in the Western Hemisphere, Discover Puerto Rico proudly launches Mi Casa, Mi Navidad, an immersive digital experience that allows users to truly engage with the warmth, joy, and unique traditions of the Puerto Rican holiday season. Inspired by an original storybook illustrated by a local artist, this interactive hub brings the Island's culture, music, and flavors to life through interactive storytelling and gamified elements. The experience features a dedicated landing page, a bilingual digital storybook, an immersive audio narration, and Holiday recipes, bringing the magic of Puerto Rican holidays into homes everywhere.
This innovative platform reflects Discover Puerto Rico's commitment to celebrating the rich culture of the Island, educating visitors, and preserving multi-generational stories for years to come. Developed in collaboration with acclaimed local artists Mundo Nana & Nina and illustrator Waldemar Lozada, Mi Casa, Mi Navidad blends technology and tradition to offer a virtual window into a Puerto Rican home during the holidays.
A Holiday Invitation for the Island and Its Diaspora
Mi Casa, Mi Navidad is designed as a welcoming bridge between Puerto Rico and the world. Its emotional core speaks directly to Puerto Ricans on the Island, the diaspora spread across cities like New York, Orlando, and Chicago, and curious travelers discovering the culture for the first time.
“It's important to us to share the richness of Boricua traditions with everyone, whether you're part of the Puerto Rican diaspora, a local resident, a visitor to our Island, or someone discovering our culture for the first time,” said Dalissa Zeda, Digital Marketing Director at Discover Puerto Rico. “With Mi Casa, Mi Navidad, we want people everywhere to experience the warmth and togetherness that define our holiday season.”
The initiative reads as both cultural storytelling and brand strategy. For Discover Puerto Rico, it’s a chance to frame the Island not only as a destination to visit, but as a living culture to connect with digitally, emotionally, and, eventually, in person.
“This launch is a vibrant tribute to Puerto Rico's culture and the joy that unites us during the holidays,” added Storm Tussey, Chief Marketing Officer at Discover Puerto Rico. “Through this initiative, we're inviting visitors to connect authentically with the Island and experience the true spirit first-hand.”
Inside “Mi Casa, Mi Navidad”: Story, Sound, and Flavor
At the center of the experience is a virtual hub that connects everything: the storybook, the audio narration, and a collection of traditional recipes that function like small gifts from a Puerto Rican kitchen.
The bilingual digital storybook unfolds over four chapters, available in both English and Spanish. It follows two sisters, Lara and Lía, as they visit Puerto Rico and rediscover the meaning of Christmas through family traditions. Their journey is guided by Abuela and Abuelo, grounding the story in generational wisdom and everyday affection.
Along the way, they are immersed in parrandas, learn about Los Reyes Magos, and experience the significance of Nochebuena. The narrative is nostalgic and warm, highlighting family unity, cultural pride, and the rhythm of Boricua life. For many in the diaspora, those scenes will feel less like fiction and more like recovered memory.
The audiobook version layers in ambient sounds coquí frogs, laughter, traditional instruments to bring each chapter to life. Listeners can close their eyes and feel transported to a family gathering where doors stay open, music spills into the street, and visitors are always welcome at the table.
Food plays a starring role. Iconic Puerto Rican recipes inspired by the Nochebuena chapter, featuring dishes such as asopao, arroz con gandules, and coquito, invite audiences not just to read about Puerto Rican holidays, but to taste them. The experience subtly shifts from storytelling to participation: the holiday lives in your kitchen, not only on your screen.
Local Artists at the Heart of the Story
Mi Casa, Mi Navidad is not a generic holiday campaign. It is rooted in the voices and visuals of Puerto Rican creatives whose work reflects their own lived experiences.
“Seeing our childhood come to life through our words and Waldemar's illustrations has been the most special part of this collaboration, reflecting our Puerto Rican roots and the love of family,” said Caroll and Joanne López of creative studio Mundo Nana & Nina. “We are thrilled to imagine every family connecting with this story and enjoying it as much as we do.”
Their storytelling is paired with the illustrations of Waldemar Lozada, whose visual language captures the warmth of family gatherings, the color of Island streets, and the intimacy of traditions passed down in small gestures, a shared song, a plate served first, a whispered story from grandparent to child.
“Collaborating with Discover Puerto Rico and so many talented people ensures that this heartfelt project will reach audiences both on and beyond the Island,” added illustrator Waldemar Lozada. “As a Puerto Rican artist, it's a wonderful opportunity to share my work and passion for art with the world.”
By foregrounding local creatives, Discover Puerto Rico amplifies the Island’s own artists as cultural narrators, not just as visual decorators for a marketing effort. That choice deepens the authenticity of the campaign and anchors it firmly in the voices of Puerto Ricans.
A Season That Continues Long After December
Mi Casa, Mi Navidad is not a one-time drop. The launch marks the start of a phased content rollout throughout the holiday season, with new chapters, collaborations, and cultural spotlights unveiled in the coming weeks.
Audiences can visit the virtual hub starting November 20th to explore the storybook, listen to the audio experience, and discover recipes that bring Puerto Rico's festive joy into homes around the world. Visitors will also find resources to learn more about upcoming holiday events on the Island, including Three Kings Day, Octavitas, and Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastián, which continue the celebration well into January.
These touchpoints underscore a central truth: in Puerto Rico, the holidays are not a single date on the calendar, but a sustained expression of identity, community, and joy.
In a crowded digital landscape where holiday campaigns often blur together, Mi Casa, Mi Navidad stands apart by treating culture as the central story, not just a backdrop.
It offers the Puerto Rican diaspora a way to reconnect with home, gives future visitors a deeper understanding of the Island beyond beaches and resorts, and preserves multi-generational stories in a format that children and adults can experience together.
For Discover Puerto Rico, the project is a strategic bet on storytelling as destination marketing. For families around the world, it is an invitation to step into a Puerto Rican home, listen for the coquí, share a plate of arroz con gandules, and feel, if only for a moment, what it means when an Island says the holidays are still not over.