El Galpon, San Juan

The festival of the Three Kings is probably more celebrated in Puerto Rico than even Christmas. In almost every crafts store in San Juan, you will find shelves of wood carved saints or “santos” in all sizes and styles, most often representative of the Three Kings. Historically, these wood images of saints were used as objects for prayer.

Today, the saints represent an important part of Puerto Rican culture. When the Spanish arrived on the island in the late 1400’s, these representations of saints were used to help in efforts to convert to Catholicism the indigenous people of the island – at first the Taino Indians and later the slaves from Western Africa. Saint carvings eventually evolved to become more a part of the art culture leaving behind much of the religious attachments.

These statuettes can be simple or ornately painted and can be hung on the wall or can stand on their own. You can find these wood carvings of saints at many shops throughout San Juan but El Galpon located in a little alley right off one of the main shopping streets, has a special collection displayed along the wall and the shop’s owner will give you a history about the saints and their origins. Price: $45-$1,000.00

What to buy here: Wood Carvings of Saints.