Carnaval in South America
February 16, 2021 7:44 AM Subscribe
Carnaval is a Really Big Deal all over South America, and each region and ancestry has its own way of adding to present fun and cultural commemoration.
Bolivia (note the multiple traditions). Lo de Callao en Venezuela....
Century-old Barranquilla festival in Colombia.
Guaranda in Ecuador.
Uruguay, where the Camdombé tradition of the African diaspora is strong.
Carnaval murgas in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Andean Sun Festival in the north of Chile.
Bacchanal in Encarnación, Paraguay.
Syncretism in Guyana.
A Surinamese alternative, perhaps.
Water throwing in Peru.
And, last but certainly not least, last year's fabulous block parties in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. (Yes, I was there.)
Century-old Barranquilla festival in Colombia.
Guaranda in Ecuador.
Uruguay, where the Camdombé tradition of the African diaspora is strong.
Carnaval murgas in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Andean Sun Festival in the north of Chile.
Bacchanal in Encarnación, Paraguay.
Syncretism in Guyana.
A Surinamese alternative, perhaps.
Water throwing in Peru.
And, last but certainly not least, last year's fabulous block parties in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. (Yes, I was there.)
Awesome. There needs to be more carnaval in the world. When I lived in the Cayman Islands, Batabano was a pretty fun time.
posted by inflatablekiwi at 9:37 AM on February 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by inflatablekiwi at 9:37 AM on February 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
It's hard to believe that this time last year I was in Rio in humongous, densely pack crowds of strangers who all felt perfectly happy and safe sharing drinks, kissing each other on the mouths and cheeks, hugging, dancing and BLOWING HANDFULS OF GLITTER IN EACH OTHERS FACES FROM LIKE 6 INCHES AWAY. Now it just feels like a half remembered stress dream.
posted by youthenrage at 10:32 AM on February 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by youthenrage at 10:32 AM on February 16, 2021 [1 favorite]
Rio resident here.
There is no Carnaval. I'm sad. My friends are sad. Some are crying.
Carnaval in the time of Plague (selflink).
posted by adamvasco at 12:17 PM on February 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
There is no Carnaval. I'm sad. My friends are sad. Some are crying.
Carnaval in the time of Plague (selflink).
posted by adamvasco at 12:17 PM on February 16, 2021 [3 favorites]
@adamvasco hugs if you want them. Brazil is all the good things they say about it, and more.
I was lucky enough to visit several cities in Paraná and Minas Gerais last year, and I left Carnaval in Belo Horizonte just as the first COVID case was announced in Brazil. Highlights were Curitiba, Florianopolis, and Porto Alegre (home of Elis Regina).
posted by Sheydem-tants at 12:22 PM on February 16, 2021
I was lucky enough to visit several cities in Paraná and Minas Gerais last year, and I left Carnaval in Belo Horizonte just as the first COVID case was announced in Brazil. Highlights were Curitiba, Florianopolis, and Porto Alegre (home of Elis Regina).
posted by Sheydem-tants at 12:22 PM on February 16, 2021
Ain't no Carnival here in New Orleans either, and I'm sad.
Though I was made less sad by the appearance of the "house floats" - houses decorated along whatever damn theme their inhabitants liked. And I was made less sad this morning by a group of costumed people riding their bicycles down the chilly street hollering "Happy Mardi Gras!" at everyone who came out. I waved and shouted back.
I hope everyone in the rest of the Carnival-having world is finding ways to have *some* kind of celebration in this year of the pandemic, because it definitely does something good to a city when there's a city-wide party every year.
posted by egypturnash at 2:12 PM on February 16, 2021
Though I was made less sad by the appearance of the "house floats" - houses decorated along whatever damn theme their inhabitants liked. And I was made less sad this morning by a group of costumed people riding their bicycles down the chilly street hollering "Happy Mardi Gras!" at everyone who came out. I waved and shouted back.
I hope everyone in the rest of the Carnival-having world is finding ways to have *some* kind of celebration in this year of the pandemic, because it definitely does something good to a city when there's a city-wide party every year.
posted by egypturnash at 2:12 PM on February 16, 2021
They even celebrate carnivale in Denmark, though a) they moved it to midsummer presumably for weather-related reasons and b) contrary to the photos at that website, the bare flesh on display is mostly the whitest, untouched-by-sun shades imaginable.
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 2:48 PM on February 16, 2021
posted by CheeseDigestsAll at 2:48 PM on February 16, 2021
My wife got me a bucket list journal for Valentine's Day, and we just added our first entry, to attend Carnival, somewhere other than Brazil. Nothing against Brazil, but one of the slightly smaller celebrations may be more our speed.
posted by COD at 2:57 PM on February 16, 2021
posted by COD at 2:57 PM on February 16, 2021
This post needs more Heino.
Nothing else quite captures the spirit of the Carnival in Rio.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:25 PM on February 16, 2021
Nothing else quite captures the spirit of the Carnival in Rio.
posted by UbuRoivas at 3:25 PM on February 16, 2021
I can't let Heino be the final word in a post about Carnival.
posted by signal at 4:58 PM on February 17, 2021
posted by signal at 4:58 PM on February 17, 2021
As this post is S.America and carnaval I think Trinidad deserves a shout out big time. (Previously).
posted by adamvasco at 2:40 AM on February 18, 2021
posted by adamvasco at 2:40 AM on February 18, 2021
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B) We got a room in downtown La Paz with a semi-closed wooden balcony a good 10m up from the street. What we did from there was basically a water-war-crime.
C) Walking through Oruro, 4 guys in a moving car throw a balloon at us which seemed like bad sportsmanship. They stop at a streetlight half a block down, and I calmly walk up to them and empty the backpack with 12 full balloons on them point blank before they have time to raise their windows.
D) In Oruro's central plaza, we organize a battle royale, mercosur vs rest of the world. It's glorious, with small kids hired to keep us all fully loaded with balloons for over an hour, with farewell hugs all around at the end as if had been a football match.
posted by signal at 9:06 AM on February 16, 2021 [2 favorites]