Halloween is coming up, collegiettes! Many people have already found their signature costumes but, for most of us, we have no idea what to dress up as. Many just end up dressing as any mainstream character like a nurse, nerd or superhero just to name a few. But here, in Puerto Rico, we have many characters that you could use as inspiration when deciding what costume to choose. These characters are iconic to our culture and have been present through many generations.
Here are 10 examples:
1. “ La Comay y Hector el Travieso”
This iconic doll portrayed by a man and her partner, Hector el Travieso, were present in our TV’s every afternoon informing big news and local gossip in her unique way.
Her show was called Super Exclusivo (Super Exclusive) and the signature catchphrase was: “¡Qué Bochinche!”.
2. Minga and Petraca
This dynamic duo, played by the actors Antonio Sanchez and Johnny Ray Rodriguez, portrayed two middle aged ladies from Santurce, San Juan. They passed their time commenting on stories from Puerto Rican gossip magazines and then getting into some funny situations.
3. Don Cholito
Jose Miguel Agrelot “Don Cholito” was a comedy actor with 59 year-long career, responsible for Puerto Rico’s most iconic TV characters. He is a University of Puerto of Rico Rio Piedras’ alumni and he is so iconic that Puerto Rico’s main Coliseum is named after him.
4. Plinia
The comedy actor, Raymond Arrieta, portrays an old woman in certain comedy sketches on his TV Show Día a Día. This iconic old lady delivers recent puertorican news in a fun and appealing manner to the masses.
5. La Borinqueña
If you prefer something a little more mainstream, we have our own superhero. She fights injustice with her superhuman strengh, flight, power of teleportation and weather manipulation given by mystic gods from the Puertorican culture.
6. Tito Kayak
Tito Kayak, Alberto De Jesús Mercado, is an puertorican social activist known for defying authorities to send his messages. Some of his most famous stunts include: raising a Puertorican flag at the United Nations, hanging it on the Statue Liberty and an arrest in Israel while in support of the Palestine cause.
7. Menudo
Menudo was a Puerto Rican boy band, they were basically a Latin American One Direction from the 70’s and 80’s. The band was the starting point for many renowned artists including Ricky Martin.
8. Monica Puig
Monica Puig is a Puerto Rican professional tennis player, that in this year’s Olympics brought home the first gold medal for her country. She is also a Central American and Caribbean champion and Pan American silver medallist.
9. Calle 13
Calle 13 is a Puerto Rican urban duo, Rene Perez and Eduardo Cabra, are known for rapping about social injustices, the Puerto Rican culture and delivering their message to the young masses.
10. Men in the City
Men in the City is a comedy segment from the show “Raymond and Friends” led by the actor Raymond Arrieta. The sketch is a Sex and the City parody in which a group of five men face everyday problems in a funny way always reuniting in a bar, dealing with problems of friendship, wives, kids and love.