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Both Catholics and followers of vodu celebrate the Day of the Dead, when, as elsewhere in Latin America and the Caribbean, families visit cemeteries to commune with the deceased, and take small offerings such as flowers and food. This ritual is taken most seriously in the areas near the Haitian border.

A big patriotic celebration commemorating a historic Dominican victory over Haitian forces in 1844.

Images of Nuestra Señora de Regla, the town’s adopted saint, are carried through the streets in celebration.

San Andrés or Saint Andrew has his lively fiesta patronal in the South Coast tourist town.

The cowboy country lets its hair down with a rustic Festival of the Bulls.

As in all Latin countries, Semana Santa is the year’s most important religious period, and all activity grinds to a halt as Dominicans go to church or parties or both. The Catholic celebrations are paralleled by African-influenced vodu (voodoo) ceremonies near the border and in the sugar plantations where Haitian migrants live.

The Carnival period reaches an ear-splitting climax in Santo Domingo with a parade of costumes and bands along the Malecón. This also marks the anniversary of the country’s independence from Haitian occupation.

The latter part of the month witnesses a spectacular showcase of Dominican musical talent, as the seafront Malecón in Santo Domingo hosts a series of concerts by household names and newcomers alike.

In the third week in October, the northern port of Puerto Plata hosts a week-long celebration of merengue talent. Most of the action takes place on the long and normally rather rundown Malecón, but at this time of year the place comes to life, with bands performing and countless outdoor bars.