Carnival in the Dominican Republic

Although some towns celebrate it during March, Holy Week, and August, the Carnival in the Dominican Republic is celebrated throughout February.[1] The festival usually climaxes around February 27th, which is Dominican Independence Day. In Santo Domingo, this primarily involves a large display of military power (including the Dominican air force, navy, and other armed forces). This carnival is distinguished by its colorful costumes; these costumes symbolize many religious and traditional characters such as Calife, Guloya, or the famous Diablo Cojuelo. It is celebrated in most of the island, each town adding its own twist or creating their own characters and groups. Since many of the groups are created by families, companies, and friends, it is enjoyed by the young and old throughout the country.

History

The Christians and the well known follower Maximo De La Rosa would let their slaves have some diversion so that they got the "wild" out of their system, but the slave owners also would enjoy the festivities. Since Christians considered this a "pagan" celebration, they added their own inflections because they wanted to enjoy it.

Carnival has been celebrated in the Dominican Republic since the mid-1500s. Evidence of this has been found in the ruins of La Vega Vieja (near the present day La Vega) showing that celebrations were held here before they were celebrated in Santo Domingo. The celebration consisted of the residents dressing themselves as Moors and Christians.

Though it is not known for certain, it is thought that the colony of Santo Domingo was the first place in the Americas to show a pre-Lenten costume. The celebration became a way to escape from the rigid religious traditions. By the late 1700s the carnival became a major celebration in the colony. Then on February 27, 1844, when the Dominican Republic won its independence from Haiti, the celebration gained more splendor, because the Dominicans were celebrating their independence. This combination made February a very festive month in the Dominican Republic.

Meaning

The celebration is symbolized by an "upside-down chicken", and since the country is Catholic by its constitution the rulers of the world must not be God or Jesus Christ, but the Devil. Men dressing as women, and livestock dominating their ranchers are expected in this eccentric carnival. The main character in the celebration is the "Diablo Cojuelo" (Limping Devil in English). However just because the "Diablo Cojuelo" plays a central role in festivities, does not mean that it is an event to worship the Devil. In fact this celebration actually promotes the opposite, as it becomes a satire of the Devil.

Characters

The list of characters included during the celebration is immense, but there are some characters that are seen throughout the countries during the festivities. Such as:

These are some of the most used around the country. Every town has their own variations of these and some original characters.[2]

Celebration

There are many ways in which it is celebrated, but most towns and cities share common characteristics:

Main parades

There are some Dominican cities that hold world-renowned parades such as:

References

  1. Janette Keys. "Carnaval Dominicano/ Dominican Republic Carnival Origin". Colonialzone-dr.com. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  2. Janette Keys. "Carnival Dominicano Masks and Descriptions Page 1". Colonialzone-dr.com. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
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