This post is also available in: Spanish

The Dominican Carnival, or the Carnaval Dominicano, is one of the most eagerly anticipated and exciting celebrations held in the Dominican Republic and that is why, to get you in the spirit of the Carnaval Dominicano, over the next few weeks, we’ll be publishing articles on the many different Dominican carnival characters and here is #2: Los Platanuses

Platanuses Profile

  •  These traditional characters were born from the legacy of the African slaves in the Hispaniola, specifically in Cotuí (actually Sánchez Ramírez), a town in the North of the Dominican Republic.
  • The Platanuses cover their bodies with dried banana leaves (from plantains – hence the name), paint their faces in different colors, or wear masks.
  • In recent years, they have started adding precious stone ornaments to their costumes.
  • On the final day of the carnival, it is traditional for the “Los Platanuses” to let the people remove the dry leaves from their costumes.
  • Many other Dominican carnival characters have been derived from “Los Platanuses,” such as; “Los Funduses” (make their costumes with plastic bags), “Los Papeluses” (make their costumes with pieces of paper) and “Los Trapuses” (make their costumes with pieces cloth); all of them from Cotuí too.

Upcoming Carnival Events

Following the ever-growing popularity of the Carnaval Vegano, which takes place every Sunday throughout February, carnival fever has now spread across the entire Dominican Republic, with carnivals now being celebrated in most cities and towns.

For those of you at Casa de Campo, on Feb. 26, Altos de Chavón is hosting a Dominican Independence Day party at the main plaza.

In Santo Domingo, the Domingo Republic’s capital city, the annual Carnaval de Santo Domingo will be celebrated on the Avenida George Washington on March 3 from the Obelisco Hembra to the Obelisco Macho, whilst the Desfile Nacional de Carnaval (Desfile Carnaval en Malecón) will be taking place on Sunday, March 17, starting at 2:00 p.m. on the “Malecón” (the city’s principal coastal road).

So don’t miss these amazing opportunities to enjoy the Carnaval Dominicano!

Remember: This is article #2 about Roba Los Platanuses, but we will be publishing a series of articles about all the Carnival characters, so stay alert if you want to learn more!

Click here to read part 1 of this series: Roba La Gallina

Related post