When traveling to other countries it is always great to discover local festival and cultural festivities in the country to which you are traveling. Not only can this help you acclimate to the culture, but it can also warn you when there may be difficulties in traveling. It also gives a great insight in to extra activities for you and your family to enjoy while visiting.
Fiestas Patronales
Largely influenced by Spanish culture, the Dominican Republic is a country known for its string of Fiestas Patronales, or patronage festivals are celebrations held in honor of various saints that have been adopted by towns or municipalities. There are hundreds of Fiestas Patronales celebrated each year, with each month seeing the celebration of as much as 12 holidays. Every day, it seems, Dominican Republic celebrates regional Fiestas Patronales.
Most towns in the Dominican Republic have their own celebrations of their Patron Saints. Typically, the celebrations start on the Friday – approximately one week – preceding the prescribed date of the feast. The Sunday before the feast date is celebrated by parades of ‘imahenes’ or images of the Saints being celebrated that are usually made of wood.
An annual celebration dedicated to a saint or virgin who is the patron in each city that celebrates the fiesta. Most Fiestas Patronales feature live entertainment by famous international or local singers known as verbenas, amusement parks and street vendors during the celebration. Fiestas Patronales are not national holidays, because they only reflect the celebration of one city or town and are religious celebrations.
Typically the city′s locals start the celebrations by displaying an effigy of the Patron Saint that is carried all over the town by men and women. Music, prayer and joyous parades, are part of the celebrations, “Las Fiestas Patronales” varies slightly in the different towns. Samana and Higuey are known for the most colorful and artful Dominican Republic holidays celebration of the fiesta Patronal.
Fiesta Mask Carnaval
This Dominican Republic carnival is an explosion of colors, music and dancing. It is a showcase of cultural identity and tradition that encompasses many facets of the Dominican society. People dressed in colorful mask and costumes hit each other with inflated cow and pig bladders as part of the celebration. During Carnival week, nearly 100,000 people participate in one way or another in Santo Domingo.
Many traditional archetypical characters enrich the popular celebrations with unlimited color. However, the most popular and the most appreciated are the devils. The most recognizable mask is the “Diablo Cojuelo Mask.” The Diablo Cojuelo is a horned devil that lashes out at bystanders with an inflated cow bladder to purge the spectators of their sins. Tourists are highly recommended to join in the celebrations.
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