| Hatillo, Puerto Rico | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Municipality — | |||
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| Nickname(s): "El Pueblo sin Sopa", "Capital De La Industria Lechera"' "Hatillo Del Corazón De Riego", "Tierra de Campos Verdes", "Los Ganaderos" | |||
| Anthem: "De un mar azul en el Atlántico" | |||
| Location of Hatillo in Puerto Rico | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| Territory | Puerto Rico | ||
| Founded | June 30, 1823 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | José Rodríguez (PPD) | ||
| • Senatorial dist. | 3 - Arecibo | ||
| • Representative dist. | 15 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 58.7 sq mi (152.10 km2) | ||
| • Land | 41.8 sq mi (108.22 km2) | ||
| • Water | 16.9 sq mi (43.88 km2) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 41,953 | ||
| • Density | 714.4/sq mi (275.8/km2) | ||
| Demonym | Hatillanos | ||
| Time zone | AST (UTC-4) | ||
| Zip code | 00659 | ||
Hatillo (Spanish pronunciation: [aˈtiʎo]) is a municipality located on Puerto Rico's north coast, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Lares and Utuado to the south, Camuy to the west, and Arecibo to the east. According to the 2000 US Census Hatillo is spread over 9 wards and Hatillo Pueblo (The downtown area and the administrative center of the city). It is part of the San Juan-Caguas-Guaynabo Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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Don Agustín Ruiz Miranda, a Canarian immigrant, founded Hatillo on approximately ten "cuerdas" (a cuerda is less than an acre) in 1823. Miranda granted this land on the condition that public buildings be erected and wide streets be built, and that the remaining land be sold or used for homes.
The flag consists of three broad stripes - Blue, Yellow and Green. Blue represents the sea, yellow represents the material and artistic wealth of the town, and green represents the vegetation of its fields in all its territorial extension.
On top of the shield is a gold crown with three towers over a silver field a Custard Apple tree (annona reticulata) and a field with two cows in gold which is over eight blue and silver-plated waves. At the center is a shield of "La Orden del Carmen". Under the shield the motto is inscribed, Hatillo Del Corazón.
Today, Hatillo is the major producer of milk on the island and produces a third of the milk consumed in Puerto Rico.
Plaza del Norte is a shopping mall located in the barrio of Carrizales.
Hatillo, along with Camuy and Lares are known for the Parque de las Cavernas del Río Camuy, a large network of natural limestone caves and underground waterways. Cueva Clara (main attraction of the park), Cueva de Empalme and a portion of the Tres Pueblos Sinkhole among other features are inside Bayaney, Hatillo.[2] The cave system was first documented in the 1973 book Discovery At The Rio Camuy (ISBN 0-517-50594-0) by Russell and Jeanne Gurnee. The park built around the cave system features tours of some of the caves, and is one of the most popular natural attractions in Puerto Rico.
There is a Tradition each year on the 28th of December which is known as the Máscaras (Masks) of Hatillo. This Tradition dates back to 1823, when the town of Hatillo was founded. This Tradition came with settlers from the Canary Islands. The meaning of this tradition is the Holy Innocents, or Santos Inocentes: the first martyrs of Christian faith from Matthew's story in which small children were killed by Herod in an unsuccessful attempt to kill Jesus. It is a very special day with lots of fun and a large meeting of Mascaras: masked men and women of all ages, who wear costumes according to tradition, typically covered from head to toe, and parade through their town and nearby towns all day, making jokes and having fun, followed by a large multiple, and celebrated procession through all the town and nearby town's neighborhoods, and ending at the Hatillo town center. It is a multi-dynamic and wonderful experience for everyone in Hatillo and nearby towns. This special tradition came from the Canary Islands, the main place from Spain where the Hatillo, Camuy, and nearby town's Spanish immigrants arrived, mainly in the 1800s. Many of the native people of Hatillo, Camuy, Arecibo, and several nearby towns are proud to call themselves "Isleños", or people descendant from the Canary Island's immigrants.
The transportation to the events was traditionally on horseback, with still a few still doing it today, however, in more modern events the Jeep (carefully decorated to match the riders colors and costumes) and the "Carroza" (a homemade long cart with a long crankshaft and wheel, equally decorated) are used. You can usually see groups of riders that can be a few dozen to groups of 100+ marching all around the town with their "carrozas" equipped with loud speakers, air horns, bright lights and typical music playing. They make frequent stops at homes and stores making pranks and asking for "offerings". Usually food, drinks or money. Usually around mid-day the groups of riders (Usually with names that start with "Los" [name] Ex. Los Conservadores MEANING The Conservatives) head themselves to the center of the town for a parade and an award ceremony for best outfit, best sound, best "carroza" and others.