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Venezuela Festivals and Events
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Los Diablos de Yare
Federal District,
Los Diablos de Yare is celebrated in the main cities of the Federal
District, Aragua state, Miranda state, and Cojedes state. This is
a carnivalesque celebration, in which devils with many horns and
different human or animal faces parade around the town.
These devils are paying penance, and the amount of horns show the
many sins they are paying for. This celebration occurs during Corpus
Christi.
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La Paradura Del Nino
Tachira, 6th January, 2000
In the Andean region of Tachira, Merida and Trujillo, this is a
celebration around the 6th of January, focussing on Jesus as a child.
It is a procession in which the Baby in its manger is placed on
a large handkerchief and every corner is held by a person who has
a candle in his hands.
He is paraded around the town from house to house and a drink is
offered to the people who carry him. The people in the nino's procession
pray for him, and themselves.
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Semana Santa / Easter
March and April
Easter is a Catholic festival, but it has become a holiday around
most of the world. It begins between March and April, and would
officially begins on Good Friday.
On Palm Sunday people visit the church nearest to them to pick up
a piece of holy palm. This is probably the only catholic ceremony
that has not been altered in Venezuela.
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Los Tambores De Barlovento
Miranda, March
The Drums of Barlovento are celebrated at the beginning of the rain
season in March, near Corpus Christi, in Barlovento, Miranda state.
This area comprises the towns Curiepe, Higuerote, Caucagua, Tacarigua
and others where there is a large black population due to the coffee
and banana plantations that existed there in the colonial period.
Thus, this is an Afro-Caribbean tradition in which the drums are
the main theme complemented by various other wooden instruments,
mostly of African origin.
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Christmas
Venezuela, 25th Dec, 2000
Venezuelan traditions are very rich because of the great variety
of cultures that has been assimilated into its society. Even though
unfortunately some of the traditions are disappearing Venezuelans
still continue to preserve the family unit centered around Christmas
activities.
Venezuelans start on December 24th with preparations that emphasize
the Catholic aspect of the season. Most families put up an elaborate
scene of the nativity and will wait until midnight on Christmas
Eve to add the figure of baby Jesus.
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