Here comes the Carnaval Dominicano!

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February is here, and do you know what that means? It’s carnival time! Are you ready to enjoy the most colorful celebration of the whole year?

The Dominican Carnival, or the Carnaval Dominicano, is one of the most eagerly anticipated and exciting celebrations held in the Dominican Republic. It’s an occasion full of cheerfulness, music and, above all, brightness and color. It’s when Dominicans go out into the streets to watch the amazing spectacle of the Dominican Carnival – something that happens in towns all over the country on different days throughout February and March.

Here in Casa de Campo, we will celebrate a version of the Dominican Carnival at the Altos de Chavón Independence Day Celebration on Feb. 26.

Origins

The Dominican Carnival celebrates a mixture of rituals, cultures, and traditions inherited from the ancestors of the Dominican people: the Taínos, Africans, and Europeans. It is thought the Dominican Carnival or Carnaval Dominicano was brought to the country by Christopher Columbus, with evidence that this annual tradition started at some point in the 1500s ′s. Always celebrated before Semana Santa (Easter week) in most cities of the country, the Carnaval Dominicano, in many ways, simulates the carnestoladas of Spain.

Carnival around the world

Carnivals are celebrated worldwide, with parades, music, costumes, dancing and unique characters representing different regions of the different countries. Some of the most famous are the Río Carnival of Santa Cruz of Tenerife, Oruro in Bolivia, Corriente in Argentina, El Vegano in the Dominican Republic, as well as, of course, the great Carnaval of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Carnival in The Dominican Republic – the Carnaval Dominicano

The Dominican Carnival is, without a doubt, the most colorful of all celebrations throughout the year. It starts in February, the month in which the Dominican Republic celebrates its Independence Day – on February 27. Although Dominican Independence Day and the Carnaval Dominicano are not actually linked, Dominicans take advantage of both special occasions to celebrate throughout the whole month… and through until the end of March!

The Carnaval Vegano in La Vega, a city in the northern part of the country, maybe the most popular carnival. People from around the Dominican Republic attend, with many arriving on tours from different regions with their family and friends, to have a good time – and that’s something Dominicans know how to do for sure! During the Carnaval Vegano, La Vega is overtaken by people from across the country and the world, who fill the streets, dancing to the music and enjoying the spectacular parade filled with colors, magnificent costumes, and contagious tropical music.

Like all carnivals worldwide, the parade is the primary attraction. The parade consists of different groups, called comparsas, from different regions of the country and have unique costumes that are traditional to their area. Each comparsa competes to be crowned the best in the parade and win a prize.

Although every Carnaval Dominicano is different and unique, some of the famous and most popular characters always seen are; Diablos Cojueles, Roba la Gallina, Se me muere Rebecca, Alí Babá, Califé, Los Travestís, Los Platanuses, Los Indios and many more…

To get you in the spirit of the Carnaval Dominicano, we’ll publish articles on the many different Dominican carnival characters over the next few weeks.