Carnival in Mexico
carnival mexico spanish carnaval celebrated community various way largest best known modern celebration occurring mazatlán city veracruz larger celebration also found baja california yucatán peninsula similar carnival float queen costume large rio de janeiro new orleans smaller rural community carnival tradition conserved mexico indigenous religious heritage vary depending local indigenous culture carnival assimilated largest kind held huejotzingo puebla mock battle based battle puebla reenactment story important carnival variation found tlaxcala oaxaca chiapas jalisco morelos part mexico city established europe middle age carnival came mexico spanish colonial period celebrated one form another acceptance among indigenous population stemmed fact coincided various indigenous festival nemontemi nahuas cabik maya refer “lost days” mesoamerican calendar face covered repel confuse evil popularity rest colonial period continued one time normal rule could broken especially use mask hide identity authority eighteenth century crown made concerted effort suppress excess carnival banning wearing mask forbidding laypeople dress cleric forbidding cross dressing celebration carnival especially lively drunken indian castas authority toleration earlier colonial period replaced repression period social inversion role reversal although effort tamp festivity late seventeenth century period viceroy juan de acuña measure finally seemed take hold viceroy stopped track never recovered public celebration carnival waned th century mexico independence later liberal movement discouraged element country colonial past late th century early th festival major public event made something comeback area veracruz northwestern mexico yucatán peninsula large scale celebration mostly become divorced religious root commercialization latter th century however numerous smaller celebration rural area maintained indigenous religious element making manifestation varied depending indigenous culture celebration melded large modern celebration sponsored city government important social tourist event veracruz allowed visitor camp city tourist beach however without problem controversy occasionally problem disorderly conduct excessive alcohol consumption fighting street veracruz carnival criticized protestantevangelical christian group moral reason similarly carnival puerto vallarta caused controversy committee responsible fired event criticized “too sexual content gay…” carnival veracruz committee decided prohibit advertising political candidate party two largest modern public carnival celebration mexico veracruz mazatlán large celebration baja california yucatán peninsula attract significant number visitor mostly within mexico larger carnival start burning condemning effigy called “mal humor” bad mood election carnival queen sometimes king momo parade float especially sunday ash wednesday street party vendor concert musician playing popular traditional musical style costume worn participant vary including dressing opposite sex parody political figure festivity go early morning hour except tuesday carnival end mazatlán oldest major modern carnival tradition mexico history hundred year starting current version mazatlan carnival began known “carnavales de confeti serpentina” carnival confetti streamer replaced “carnavales de harina” carnival flour rival group “docks people” “warehouse people” staged mock battle insult taunt projectile usually filled flour aim modern version carnival replace something orderly less dangerous focusing parade lively costume civil committee organized first citywide event first mexico event originally machado plaza procession decorated car bicycle first carnival queen wilfrida farmer however projectile still thrown among crowd generally eggshell filled confetti spray can foam also used visitor event almost mexico carnival various main event designed appeal different group people two parade street party live music two food festival selection royal court concert organized city around different theme year familyoriented less sexual rio de janeiros tranquil new orleans veracruz occupies city completely time mazatlan authority stated expected see increase prostitution carnival year carnival effort combat spread sexually transmitted disease state secretariat health distributed condom performed rapid hiv test carnival alert raised concerning arrival fentanyl street february day carnival year rosa e sánchez moraila director city youth integration center stated greatest excess consumption alcohol drug licit illicit occurs celebration carnival preferred music carnival go according local taste banda grupera sinaloense mariachi chirrines danceable musical style commonly heard recently since mids increase use edm reggaeton trap music also cultural event carnival day official holiday city party lasting nearly night main festivity held paseo de ola altas claussen next ocean closed traffic day fill people night officially begin thursday main activity begin friday culminate tuesday night prior campaign carnival king queen juegos flores contest rey feo ugly king childrens version mazatláns carnival many element selection queen avoids excess begun modern version carnival city veracruz old mazatlan larger lasting nine day six major parade float along large public concert party special event promotion city restaurant bar nightclub carnival veracruz origin colonial period resident neighborhood outside city wall created new form music european african indigenous tradition original major festival community corpus christi eventually shifted carnival early th century carnival tradition people colorful costume dancing africanderived chuchumbé rhythm provoked disapproval church official despite festival continued evolve th formal ball elite well street celebration city popular class many event held twoweek period ash wednesday celebration severely regulated restricted french intervention mexico late th century liberal decided vestige colonialism sought eliminate made celebration event private affair among wealthy mexican revolution carnival initiated committee sponsored alianza de ferrocarrileros first citywide celebration event fifty year purpose promote community unity post revolution social value breaking socioeconomic barrier first carnival queen lucha raigadas first rey feo ugly king carlos puig “papiano” selected first childrens queen selected float appeared first time first night parade city ever veracruz carnival tradition since spread neighboring tuxpan attracts visitor held city fairground year today veracruz largest best known carnival mexico beginning “quema del mal humor” burning bad mood ending burial “juan carnival” quema de mal humor represented effigy disliked famous person either mexican foreign juan carnival another effigy receives mock funeral coronation carnival queen court six parade minimum thirty float run veracruz boca del río dance concert wellknown artist included enrique iglesias espinoza paz paulina rubio cristian castro charity event baja california peninsula two main carnival celebration occur ensenada la paz ensenada carnival extends six day consists quema del mal humor dance parade float royal court one important tourist event northwestern mexico attracting visitor including many california performance joan sebastián alejandra guzmán magneto caló polo polo others modern la paz carnival begun making one oldest country celebration carnival limited formal affair house rich includes concert espinoza paz sonora santanera haash yucatán peninsula major carnival celebration held mérida cozumel city campeche mérida celebrates carnival full week various event including parade held fairground xmatkuil preferred music time mambo chachacha cumbia mal humor represented effigy bill clinton hillary clinton ernesto zedillo wife nilda patricia velasco various journalist sometimes reference serious problem drug trafficking corruption common costume momo greek god joke prank one local tradition youth tossing flower confetti even eggshell filled flour indigo dye person hit blue cozumel also celebrates week parade dance costume music street fair almost work stopping event school club community organization spend week making float costume practicing dance music performance group competing carnival campeche woman wear outfit called trajes de mestiza carry tray pig head decorated ribbon dance style music called jarana another event “guerra de pinturas” age paint face body various bright color campeche carnival also side festival called el corso infantil child dress costume run street singing dancing tropical music total carnival significant even community mexico many especially smaller community maintain element mexico religious indigenous heritage celebration vary widely often traditional dance regional music ceremony pagan christian origin may also contain modern element float well local sport cultural event bullfighting fishing tournament charreada jaripeo one largest type carnival carnival huejotzingo puebla people participate participant divide four battalion identified costume first day air filled sound blank fired mock battle among battalion enacted fake gun using real gunpowder inspiration much dance battle puebla mexican french represented historically accurate also part festivity reenactment two story one kidnapping mayor daughter one depicting first christian marriage mexico another significant carnival event state tehuacán masked men called huegues whip preparation lent carnival city veracruz thoroughly modern celebrated north state much traditional including element prayer good crop well community rural veracruz carnival near xalapa feature various people bull costume often elaborate wood mask person use cane large decorated cape flowered headdress notable celebration totonacapan area include ojite de matamoros solteros de juan rosa arroyo florido ojite de matamoros men dress woman priest doctor hunchback perform dance recall struggle indigenous spanish festivity last fifteen day ending rite called “cortagallo” involved sacrifice number fowl arroyo florido festival dedicated devil considered owner earthly good solteros de juan rosa festival four day includes ceremony bless mask dancer wear celebration preferred music traditional son huapango celebration carnival widespread state tlaxcala lasting anywhere three day week depending local tradition one better known carnival hidalgo calnali la huasteca region event generally consist dancing street costume accompanied traditional band playing wind instrument four main neighborhood municipality compete dance best costume people dressing monkey death devil woman even extraterrestrial many one unique costume area cuernudo mix monkey devil carnival celebration state morelos generally familyoriented affair best known carnival state morelos tlayacapan noted chinelos dancer dance created way indigenous ridicule spanish overlord community significant carnival celebration include jiutepec emiliano zapata xochitepec tlaltizapán tepoztlán yautepec carnival pinotepa de luis state oaxaca notable use satire especially related matrimony sometimes divorce using dance called tejorones costume include various mask depiction animal dove tiger hunt tiger costume use mirror eye silacayoapan state celebration began simply dancer restricted men dressed use charcoal make look like coastal area afro mexican population mask used simple structure made gourd maguey frond since latter th century celebration evolved greater variety costume include men dressed woman devil etc carnival always end mock battle central plaza two rival neighborhood called guadalupe la loma throwing fruit dried seed music local variety chilena costeña mixteca baja carnival called joclo run three day ending “quema del gallo” burning rooster traditional instrument event violin guitar called bajo sexton traditional song el mecate el son grande el son chico el torito la cruz dance done men costume especially sunday ash wednesday generally old men woman influence modern carnival culture appearance costume north american origin one town region particularly noted joclo san jerónimo xayacatlan carnival san juan chamula huistán chiapas involve participation population many dress monkey adorned multicolored ribbon huistán accompanied music twelve stringed guitar largest carnival celebration tabasco municipality tenosique hundred people wind covered flour egg water projectile thrown festival also consists traditional dance el pochó los blanquitos long history another particular characteristic carnival considered begin january feast day saint sebastian best known carnival celebration jalisco autlan ameca tecolotlán sayula last anywhere three ten day include event concert bullfight charrería dance sayula main event friendly game professional chivas local squad barra de navidad night procession people torch well fishing contest parade float cora people nayarit celebrate painting body white spot traditional dance mexico city major carnival celebration various community iztapalapa borough event one cosponsored formerly rural community santa cruz meyehualco san andrés tetepilco san andrés tomatlán santa maría tomatlán san sebastián tecoloxtitlán santiago acahualtepec another sponsored eight neighborhood historic town iztapalapa well event los reyes culhuacán san lorenzo tezonco origin festivity go back celebration spring pre hispanic period today mostly celebrated like major carnival elected queen costume parade float