What is Blacks and Whites' Carnival?
[[File:DIOSESANCESTRALES HUGOMONCAYO2007 4.jpg|thumb|People celebrating the '''Great Parade''' (January 6)]] '''Blacks and Whites' Carnival''' (''[[Spanish language|Spanish]]: Carnaval de Negros y Blancos'') is a [[carnival]] in the [[Colombia]]n city of [[Pasto]], and was proclaimed by [[UNESCO]] as one of the [[Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity]].<ref>{{cite web |author=UNESCOPRESS|title=Press Release No. 2009-105|url=http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=46523&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html |date=September 30, 2009 |publisher=UNESCO|accessdate=30 September 2009}}</ref> The carnival happens each year, from January 2 to January 7. Many tourists visit it. == Stages == It has two stages: '''pre-carnival''' with ''Fool's Day'' and ''New Year's Eve Puppets'' ([[parade]] and burning); and the '''carnival''' itself with four celebration days: ''Colonies Day'', ''Carnavalito'' (Children's Carnival), the ''Arrival of the Castañeda Family'', ''Blacks' Day'' and ''Whites' Day'' with the ''Grand Parade'' (this being the most important day for its beauty). '''Colonies Day''' was added as an official day into the traditional Carnival programing, with several new acts: Tribute to the Virgin of Mercy, Colonies Parade, and [[Rock and roll|Rock]] Day. '''Carnavalito''' (Children's Carnival) began in 1966, as a copy of the adults' carnival, originally with little [[floats]], accompanied by child musicians and dancing girls. The '''Arrival of the Castañeda Family''' began in 1929 as a salute to the settlers in the east of the country. '''Blacks' Day''' originally commemorated the day in which the African [[slave]]s had a free day, after the 1607 slave [[rebellion]] in the Colombian town of ''Remedios''. It is said that when news reached Popayan, the African population there went to the streets and danced, and blackened all the white walls of that city with [[coal]]. In [[Pasto]] the celebration has probably taken place since 1857, when white people began to [[paint]] their faces black.