Transcript Major Bolivian Cultural Events and Holidays

Major Bolivian Cultural Events
and Holidays
11.23.08 Trisha Lowe
General Background
• Bolivia is a country in South America. It
has a Native American population which
mixed Spanish and West and Central
African cultural elements with their
ancestors' traditions. The Spanishspeaking population mainly follows the
Western customs.
Major Traditions
• Bolivia has a rich folklore. Its regional folk
music is distinctive and varied. The "devil
dances" at the annual carnival of Oruro
are one of the great folkloric events of
South America, as is the lesser known
carnival at Tarabuco.
Carnaval de Oruro
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The best known of the various festivals found in the country is the "Carnaval de
Oruro", which was among the first 19 "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible
Heritage of Humanity," as proclaimed by the UNESCO in May of 2001.
Celebrated in Oruro, the folklore capital of Bolivia, the carnival marks the Ito festival
for the Uru people. Its ceremonies stem from Andean customs, the ancient
invocations centering around Pachamama (Mother Earth, transformed into the Virgin
Mary due to Christian syncretism) and Tio Supay (Uncle God of the Mountains,
transformed into the Devil). The native Ito ceremonies were stopped in the 17th
century by the Spanish, who were ruling the territory of Upper Peru at the time.
However, the Uru continued to observe the festival in the form of a Catholic ritual on
Candlemas, in the first week of each February. Christian icons were used to conceal
portrayals of Andean gods, and the Christian saints represented other Andean minor
divinities.
Legend also has it that in 1789, a mural of the Virgin Mary miraculously appeared in a
mineshaft of the richest silver mine in Oruro. Ever since, the Carnival has been
observed in honour of the Virgen de la Candelaria (Virgin of the Candle Mass) or
Virgen del Socavon (Virgin of the Mineshaft). The most important elements of the
Carnival now occur in and around the Sanctuaria del Socavon (The Church of the
Mineshaft).
Carnival of Oruro Cont
• The highlight of the Carnival is conducted over three days and
nights, with fifty groups parading through the city over a route of four
kilometers. The groups represent various indigenous dance forms,
and are accompanied by several bands. Over 28000 dancers and
10000 musicians participate in the procession that lasts 20 hours.
The dances include Caporales, Diablada, Kantus, Kullawada,
Llamerada, Morenada, Potolo, Pujllay, Suri Sikuris, Tinku, Tobas
and Waca Waca.
• The procession culminates in the enactment of two plays,
reminiscent of medieval mystery plays. One is about the Spanish
conquest. The other revolves around the classical battle between
good and evil, with the Archangel Michael ultimately triumphing over
the Devil and the Seven Deadly Sins. The enactment of the latter
was introduced by Catholic clergy in 1818.
Tarabuco
• Tarabuco is a Bolivian town, head of the second section of the
Yamparáez Province, in the department of Chuquisaca. It is best
known as the home of the Yampara culture. It's people host the
Pujllay festival in March each year. Pujllay is Quechua meaning of
"play," and is the name of a traditional festival held in central andes.
The word "play" refers to either the clouds or the blossoms "playing"
in the winds of the end of the rainy season and thus harvesting
time... The Bolivian Pujllay is also connected to the Christian
Carnival and the celebration of a battle won over the spaniards hence the appropriation of the Spanish helmets and spurs one can
still see in the ritual dance... Members of the local indigenous
community gather for Mass, parade in their colorful traditional
costumes, drink plenty of chicha, and celebrate.
• Each Sunday, a colorful and vibrant open-air market attracts locals
and tourists alike. Many people wear traditional Yampara costumes,
which not only preserve their identity but also advertise their location
of origin within the area to others within the Tarabuco area.
Dances
Many dances and songs contain elements from
both the native and the European cultures.
Caporales seems to be the most popular
Bolivian dance of present times - in a few
decades it developed into an enormous popular
dance, not only in the Highlands, where it comes
from, but also in the Lowlands and in the
Bolivian communities outside the country. One
supposedly dances for The Virgin of Socavon
(patroness of miners) and promises to dance for
three years of one's life
Public holidays in Bolivia
Date
January 1
English Name
New Year's Day
February 2
Local Name
Nuevo Año
Fiesta de la Virgen de Candelaria
floating
Good Friday
floating
Corpus Christi
May 1
Labour Day
Dia del trabajo
August 6
Independence Day
Dia de la Patria
November 1
All Saints Day
Todos Santos
December 25
Christmas Day
Navidad
Remarks
Nuevo Año
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Money. Weeks before 31 December, merchants sell wads of fake money on the
street. At midnight, you're supposed to take out this money (or real money) and count
your cash. The more cash you count, the more luck you'll have w/ money that year.
Underwear. Street venders also start selling large quantities of sexy panties on the
streets. It's actually rather interesting/shocking to see conservative cholitas selling red
lace thongs on the sidewalk. If you wear red underwear that night, you'll be lucky in
love. Yellow brings money. Pink brings good health.
Grapes. Another tradition is to eat 12 grapes dipped in champagne at midnight.
You're supposed to make a special wish for the new year w/ each grape.
Suitcases. If you plan (or hope) to travel during the year, you're supposed to take a
suitcase and either walk around the block w/ it or go up and down a flight of stairs.
This ensures that you travel safely (and far) during the year.
Pacha Mamá. More indigenous traditions involve making an offering to Pacha Mamá
(Mother Earth). Specifically, at the Mercado de Hechicería, cholas sell plates specially
prepared for burning on small stoves (the fuel is traditionally llama dung) as offerings.
The arrangements includes special herbs, fake money, as well as totems for the
things you wish for during the coming year (e.g. a frog for money).
http://www.centellas.org/miguel/archives/000561.html
Good Friday
• Friday preceding Easter Sunday. It commemorates the Crucifixion of
Jesus Christ and his death.
• The Roman Catholic Church treats Good Friday as a fast day.
• In Bolivia thousands of pilgrims journey to Copacabana—some on
foot for the entire 158km distance from La Paz—to do penance on
Cerro Calvario. At dusk, a solemn candlelit procession begins at the
Basilica de Virgen de la Candelaria and winds through town, led by
a statue of Christ in a glass coffin and a replica of the Virgen de
Candelaria. At the summit of Cerro Calvario, they light incense and
buy mini replicas of various material possessions, in hopes of being
granted the actual item by the Virgin during the year. A local priest
speaks to the crowd through a microphone and a military band plays
dirges.
Corpus Christi
• Corpus Christi (Latin for Body of Christ) is a Christian
feast. Its purpose is to honour the Eucharist, and as such
it does not commemorate a particular event in Jesus' life.
Its celebration on the Thursday following Trinity Sunday
is meant to associate it with Jesus' institution of the
Eucharist during the Last Supper. Because of the sorrow
of Holy Week, no festivals are celebrated within it; the
Thursday after Trinity Sunday is the first Thursday after
Holy Week, Eastertide have ended.
• Within the Roman Catholic Church, the feast is officially
known as the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of
Christ.
Dia del Trabajo
• Labour Day is an annual holiday celebrated all
over the world that resulted from efforts of the
labour union movement, to celebrate the
economic and social achievements of workers.
The majority of countries celebrate Labour Day
on May 1, and it is popularly known as May Day
and International Workers' Day The celebration
of Labour Day has its origins in the eight hour
day movement, which advocated eight hours for
work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours
for rest.
Dia de la Patria
• Independence Day: August 6
independence from Spain in 1825.
• It is celebrated with pilgrimages, music
throughout the day and night, parades,
brass bands, traditional dancing, and
drinking.
Todos Santos
All Saints Day takes place on the first of November, which is the date on
which the spirit of the dead returns to earth to meet with their relatives and
taste once again what they enjoyed on earth, food and drinks.
On midday of the first of November the gates of heaven are open so that
the dead return to earth, where they will remain until midday of the second
of November. Families and friends of the deceased usually prepare a table
filled with a special bread called "tantawawas", it also has fruits, candies,
drinks and the photographs of their dead relatives, so that they are able to
come and share for a while these things. All these preparations are made in
the home of the families and afterwards they go to the cemetery where their
relatives are buried taking with them the different "offerings". In the
cemetery you will find children singing and praying for the souls, if you give
them some money or some food they will pray or sing for your dead
relatives. In some places in the rural areas the bones of dead relatives will
be taken out of the ground so that they receive the offerings in a more direct
way.
http://boliviahoy.blogspot.com/2007/10/todos-santos.html
Navidad
• “La Cena de Nochebuena” Serve a dish called prod, basically a soup.
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“Los Regalos y los Propósitos” After the supper all open their Christmas gifts. After
opening the gifts, everyone explains its good purposes to contribute to the union
and the peace of their home.
“La Misa del Gallo y Procesión del Niño en Sucre” The midnight mass and
Procession of the baby Jesus in Sucre. On Christmas Eve the families go to the
mass at 12 o'clock to celebrate the birth of Jesus, after the mass in some churches
there is a procession where they walk along the streets of Sucre. Later, at home
everyone dances Christmas carols until dawn, to Jesus. The Christmas carols are
interpreted with traditional instruments.
“Un dulce desayuno al día siguiente” Basically a sweet breakfast. Have pastries
called buñuelos that are something as well as doughnuts soaked in honey,
chanbergos, paneton (fruit and almond?) and also sopaipillas (fritters?). And good
chocolate.
• “Misas, Nacimientos y Más Regalos” Each city or town will have a Misa
de Navidad, and then afterwards open more gifts.
• http://www.navidadlatina.com/bolivia/welcome.asp
Fiesta de la Virgen de
la Candelaria
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Celebrated in Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay, Chile and Venezuela. February 25.
The celebrations in Peru and Bolivia are centered around Lake Titicaca, in
Puno and the small village of Copacabana. In Bolivia, the Virgen is also
known as the Dark Virgin of the Lake, and the Patroness Of Bolivia. She is
revered for a series of miracles.
There are parades, colorful costumes, music and a lot of drinking and
celebrating. New vehicles are brought in from all over Bolivia to be blessed
with beer. People gather for days ahead to pray and to celebrate in a
mixture of Catholic and native religions. Bolivian celebrants believe the
Virgen prefers to stay inside the Basilica erected in her honor. When taken
outside, there is a risk of storm or other calamity.
Pilgrims and dancers come to Copacabana from Peru and across Bolivia.
There are traditional Aymara dances, music, drinking and feasting. On the
third day of the fiesta, 100 bulls are gathered in a stone corral along the
Yampupata road, and the some of the more brave and/or drunk revelers
jump into the arena and try to avoid being attacked.
(http://gosouthamerica.about.com/cs/southamerica/a/Candelaria.htm)
• The Virgen de la Candelaria in Copacabana is
a statue of the Virgin Mary sculpted by an Inca
craftsman in 1576. Believed to work miracles,
the statue of the "Dark Virgin of the Lake" is the
most important pilgrimage destination in Bolivia.
• According to a local legend, in 1576, some Inca
fisherman were caught in a terrible storm on
Lake Titicaca. As they prayed for help, the Virgin
Mary appeared and led them to safety. In
gratitude, they built a shrine containing a statue
of the Virgin, which was sculpted by the Inca
craftsman Tito Yupanqui the same year.
Chapel of the
Virgen de la
Candelaria.
Photo: Ben
Hewitt & Nicole
Courneya.
Traditional Bolivian dance
Carnaval de Oruro 2007
Festival time in Sucre
Good Friday procession,
with Christ in a glass coffin.
Photo: Jonathan Lewis.
A local
priest
blesses a
car.
Photo:
Jenny
Mealing
Sources
• Wikipedia: Bolivia, Culture of Bolivia,
Public Holidays in Bolivia, Carnaval de
Oruro, Pujllay
• Listed references
• www.freetranslation.com for translations of
Spanish websites.