What is it?
The Dominican Carnaval is a country-wide celebration of heritage and culture that takes place every Sunday in Ferbruary. Its purpose is similar to Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras, celebrating "the trumph of good over evil" before the more solemn liturgical waiting period called Cuaresma, or Advent.
In addition to going to some Carnaval ceremonies, I also had the privelage of going to a presentation given by Dominican Folklorist Marcis Liriano. Even though every city and pueblo has their own Carnaval, the biggest are the ones in Santiago and more centrally located La Vega. Santiago's famous costumes are called lechones (piglets), while the one in La Vega are called Diablos Cojuelos ( a demon in Spanish folklore).
In addition to going to some Carnaval ceremonies, I also had the privelage of going to a presentation given by Dominican Folklorist Marcis Liriano. Even though every city and pueblo has their own Carnaval, the biggest are the ones in Santiago and more centrally located La Vega. Santiago's famous costumes are called lechones (piglets), while the one in La Vega are called Diablos Cojuelos ( a demon in Spanish folklore).
Since I live in Santiago, I'll focus more on Santiago's Carnaval, which many argue is the most authentic Carnaval in the country, featuring a wide diversity of characters. Most costumes are lechones, and there are two types: Lechones pepineros, which have smooth horns and lechones joyera which are spiked. Where you are from represents what type of lechon you'll have, pueblo arriba (northern) is lechón pepinero because of the neighborhood Los Pepines, while pueblo abajo (southern) has the straight smooth horns and are called so because of the pueblo La Joya. The dividing line is an arbitrary road and bridge that runs through the center of the city.
The story behing the lechón is interesting, because every part of the costume is significant. The whip they carry is a sort of triumph and reminder of the slave ancestry of the country. The multiple colors of the ribbon have colors that signify many things, such as red for the fight for independence. The small mirrors that the lechones wear is a tribute to how the native Indians of the island were tricked into trading gold for European mirrors. The lechones carry an inflated pig bladder (that they sometimes use to smack the behinds of unsuspecting watchers) and a belt that resembles pig intestines. The "piglets" wear these signaling the importance of pork in the culture and as a sign of the past, when the outer meat was reserved for the plantation owners and the slaves had to eat the guts of the pig.
Apart from the Lechones, there are other traditional costumes: Roba La Gallina ( goose robber) is a social satire involving a man dressed in womans attire with exaggerated features. Se me muere Rebeca is another one with a mother longing for her sick child. Muñecos Rumberos are costumes where it looks like someone is being carried away by another person. There are also other costumes mimicking every day life in Santiago, like people dressed up as older citizens or men riding donkeys. Other costumes are more creative, and are often made out of recycled items like cans, orange peels for glasses, bottle caps, and more.
Apart from the Lechones, there are other traditional costumes: Roba La Gallina ( goose robber) is a social satire involving a man dressed in womans attire with exaggerated features. Se me muere Rebeca is another one with a mother longing for her sick child. Muñecos Rumberos are costumes where it looks like someone is being carried away by another person. There are also other costumes mimicking every day life in Santiago, like people dressed up as older citizens or men riding donkeys. Other costumes are more creative, and are often made out of recycled items like cans, orange peels for glasses, bottle caps, and more.
The music is a huge part of Carnaval, and all of the music was very upbeat. Most of the songs played were by popular artists. Below is a video that shows what the parade at Carnaval in Santiago was like to the unofficial anthem of Carnaval.
Another neat thing about Carnaval is that the nights before Carnaval, that is Saturdays in February, there is always a free concert at the monument. When I went, Dominican artists Vakero and La Nueva Escuela were performing. A merengue band opened for them. These concerts didn't start until ten or eleven at night and went until two or three in the morning, so they were a great start to kick off Carnaval the next day!
What do Dominicans think of Carnaval?
For as big of a celebration as Carnaval is, I've found that not everyone is on the same page. Some people love Carnaval and everything about it and go to it every weekend. Others don't like how Carnaval has changed from when they were younger and say the focus is less family oriented than it used to be and is more for a younger crowd.
Still, there are many Dominicans who say they have never been to Carnaval and don't have any desire to. Last weekend when on the bus to the beach I was talking to a Dominican that was 28 and had never seen any Carnavals and acted like it was totally normal. From what I noticed, the vast majority of people that shared this opinion were of the wealthier class. In my opinion many of them think that Carnaval is for working class people and that it is dirty and wild. Some say its sacriligious and a bad influence for their children.
From my personal experiences, most Dominicans do not share this view but see Carnaval as a fun way to celebrate their national heritage and individual cultures within each pueblo. I'm glad I got to see this month long celebration while I was here; ask most Dominicans what the best time of the year is and they will asnwer "February!" because of Carnaval.
Still, there are many Dominicans who say they have never been to Carnaval and don't have any desire to. Last weekend when on the bus to the beach I was talking to a Dominican that was 28 and had never seen any Carnavals and acted like it was totally normal. From what I noticed, the vast majority of people that shared this opinion were of the wealthier class. In my opinion many of them think that Carnaval is for working class people and that it is dirty and wild. Some say its sacriligious and a bad influence for their children.
From my personal experiences, most Dominicans do not share this view but see Carnaval as a fun way to celebrate their national heritage and individual cultures within each pueblo. I'm glad I got to see this month long celebration while I was here; ask most Dominicans what the best time of the year is and they will asnwer "February!" because of Carnaval.