What better time to travel to a new place than on a country's holiday? Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean region.  Get to know the country's people and tradition. Live a life of festivities and fun in this culturally rich country.

Dominican Republic has a good mix of Spanish, French and African cultures. Here is a list of holidays and a first quarter year calendar of the events that you might want to look into when planning a trip to this country.

* The feast of the Epiphany this year is on January 6th. The Epiphany is one of the most important holidays in the Catholic calendar. It celebrates God coming to us in the form of his son, Jesus Christ. When you come to Dominican Republic during the feast of the Epiphany, you will experience and see how Dominicans are passionate about their beliefs and traditions.

* January 21st is the feast of Our Lady of Altagracia. This is a national holiday for Mary. If you want to go to the country on this time, don't forget to visit the largest Marian shrine in the country, located at Higuey.

* Duarte's day is held on January 26th this year. This is a very important holiday for the country. Juan Pablo Duarte is one of the founding fathers of Dominican Republic.

* February 27th is the country's Independence Day. This is a non-working national holiday. A visit to the country's capital, Santo Domingo is bound to give you a holiday full of festivities.

* Holy Week. One of the best ways to celebrate holy week is to visit Dominican Republic. Enrich your soul through its rich catholic traditions. Be a part of various events and celebrations that take place in all parts of the country.

* Restoration day, a non-working holiday, is on August 16th. On this day, the country remembers the Dominican restoration war that happened between 1863 and 1865.

* The feast of Virgen de las Mercedes is on September 24th.  According to the locals, Virgen de las Mercedes appeared to a group of Spanish soldiers when they were fighting against the Taino Indians. The Lady also had several apparitions on Santo Cerro. A church was built in the area in her honor.

* Other holidays of Dominican Republic are constitution day on November, Christmas Eve and Christmas day on December.

Aside from the country's holidays, you can also plan a trip to Dominican Republic and be part of some of this year's events.

The Laser Midwinter Regatta is held yearly and starts on January. This event marks the start of the laser regatta calendar. The National Symphony Orchestra Season runs through the whole month of January at Eduardo Brito National Theatre in Santo Domingo, the country's capital. The Humpback Whales Observation Season is a 3-month event that will be held from January 15 until March 15. 

Dominican Republic has a very rich story and traditions. Plan your trip by choosing any of their holidays so you can experience   a trip full of festivities and fun.