¡Carnaval!

When I was young, my impression of Carnaval was a drunken immoral Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana. I didn’t connect it to the Catholic faith I grew up in. My mother was raised in a very conservative Catholic family that looked down on the French and Cajun Catholics in the South. My mother and her family had experienced life under the threat of the Klu Klux Klan, and Catholicism was something you did not share openly. The true meaning of Carnaval was lost in my family.
Carnaval is widely celebrated in Latin America, and I think that many people in North America might not understand its purpose. Carnaval is the last big celebration before Ash Wednesday, when many Christians enter a time of fasting and somber reflection until the grand celebration of Easter Sunday.

Carnaval Oruro is world famous, and I have had the opportunity of attending two years in a row. There are many different “Fraternities” that participate. There was one from the United States. The fraternities are made up of bands and dancers. The dancers represent different things. The diablas (devils) are dressed in short skirts and wear masks, they have blue eyes representing the Spanish devils during colonialism. There are caporales (traditional Bolivian dancers) who dress in beautiful costumes with boots that have bells attached. The noise they make represents the Spanish whip used on the slaves. In the 1500’s, the Spanish brought over African slaves to work the mines in Oruro and Potosi. The local expression is, “they took enough gold and silver to build a bridge to Spain.”

Fraternities came from all over Bolivia, and the ones that stood out were the Tinku and the Afro Bolivianos. The Tinku dance is a mock fight. The men wear helmets made from cow hide so they don’t get knocked out during the dance. Men dance with men, women with women, and children with children. I am told that in remote communities the dance ends at the first blood. I don’t know if that is still true. The Afro Bolivianos wear traditional African clothing. Their drummers and dancers are very unique to their culture.

In 2010 under President Morales they voted in a new constitution giving the indigenous people a voice in the Government of their country. The new name of Bolivia is the Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (Plurinational State of Bolivia). There are 36 indigenous groups in Bolivia. They included the Afro Bolivianos as indigenous because they also suffered under colonialism and afterwards. The new constitution also guaranteed religious freedom. Carnaval Oruro has maintained its predominantly Catholic Heritage.

Carnaval Cochabamba, where I live, has become more inclusive and does not stop at Ash Wednesday. The celebration is a month long. In Oruro foam fights break out among the crowd. In Cochabamba you can also be sprayed with cold water.

Questions for Reflection: What was your impression of Carnaval before reading Ralph’s blog? After reading his blog, watching his videos, and seeing his pictures, what have you learned about Carnaval?