Every winter season thousands of visitors flock to the Dominican Republic (DR) to escape the arctic air of the north and unwind at luxurious hotels and resorts on the DR’s sunny, pristine beaches. The DR also invites visitors to participate in the unique Dominican carnival experience. I personally love the DR. The beaches are beautiful, the men are handsome and most importantly for me the food is stupendous. One of my most unforgettable meals ever was eaten in the DR! A big girl gotta eat you know!!
Each February and early March, more than 100,000 people gather from around the world to experience Dominican popular culture through carnival’s vibrant costumes, intricate masks and parades at festivals held throughout the country.
“Dominican carnival is an ideal festival, unlike any other, because it embodies our deep sense of hospitality and graciousness, as well as passion for design, love of the arts and zest for life ingrained in all that we do in the DR,” said the Ministry of Tourism’s Vice Minister of International Promotion, Magaly Toribio. “During Dominican carnival season festivals, history, art, music and culture combine to vibrantly express Dominican spontaneity and creativity with enchanting and outrageous costumes, dances and masks.”
Celebrations and costumes vary according to different DR regions; however, most feature mass groups of colorfully costumed participants parading down streets, embellished floats, dance groups, chants and crowd-interaction. One of the most well-known costumes in the parade is “El diablo cojuelo,” a devil. Celebrators may drape their vibrant costumes with mirrors, rattles, ribbons and bells. The masks are created by “careteros” out of paper mache, feathers, painted gourds, plantain leaves, jute and recycled materials, and are then decorated with satin and taffeta, or small mirrors, bells, ribbons, whistles and tiny dolls.
Well-known DR carnival destinations include the cities of Puerto Plata, Rio San Juan, Constanza, Montecristi, Samana, Higuey, La Romana, and Santo Domingo; however, the towns of Santiago and La Vega traditionally hold the largest celebrations and display some of the most innovative masks. Santiago commences carnival celebrations with an organized mask-making competition between local artisans, while La Vega holds two different types of celebrations; popular carnival and social carnival, in order to accommodate thousands of celebrators who come from around the globe to participate in La Vega’s celebration.
Carnival is a joyous pre-Lenten custom celebrated in February, peaking around February 27th, Dominican Independence Day, with some final parades taking place in early March. The cultural celebration draws influences from Europe and Africa, and dates back to 1520 during the colonial period when the festivals were used as an escape from pressures of religious tradition. For more information, please visit the DR Ministry of Tourism’s official website and event calendar at: www.GoDominicanRepublic.com/pages/calendar.
SOURCE: PRNEWSWIRE
