It’s time to Party! Carnivale comes this week!
VAMOS A FESTEJAR! (Let’s Party!)
Originally Published the Week of Feb. 4, 2016 in Western Outdoor News
Some twenty years ago, I was on my way to my new job working at a scuba dive shop and setting up a fishing operation in La Paz. I had driven down from San Diego in my road-weary Dodge Caravan pulling a flat trailer stacked with multi-colored kayaks.
There seemed to be a lot of vehicle congestion along the La Paz waterfront and a police officer was directing traffic to a backstreet detour. I followed the cars for several blocks then broke off back towards the waterfront.
As was my habit in those days, I had Led Zeppelin blaring from my van speakers and my windows open. I pulled back onto the waterfront and suddenly…
I was attacked by clowns!
About half-a-dozen clowns jumped on my van and trailer! One jumped into the passenger seat. What the…??? Then, I heard the cheering and yelling and clapping.
I had apparently pulled into a parade and was now one of the “floats!” There were floats in front of me…behind me. There was a marching band and clowns and freaky dressed folks in costumes everywhere. And my own clown posse was bouncing up and down on my trailer and hanging off my van doors whooping it up too!
What the heck. Go with the flow is my motto. I cranked up the Led Zep “Whole Lotta Love” and waved at the crowds like a Rose Parade Queen and pretended I knew what I was doing.
At some point many blocks down, the clowns high-fived me and jumped off my van and went running back to the crowds. I continued on my way with a laugh. Welcome to La Paz!
Actually, it wasn’t until years later that I was informed that I had stumbled into one of the largest of Mexican festivals. I had inadvertently joined the Carnivale Parade and one of six of the most boisterous days on the Baja social calendar.
Carnivale became popular in the middle ages and rolled into the New World with the Spanish who, among other things, brought all the makings for a good party…gunpowder, wine, horses, drums, trumpets, guys dressed in robes and colorful banners and adornments. They also brought a great excuse to party…RELIGION!
Basically, the idea was to party like heathen cavemen before the numbing penitence of Lent descended for 40 days prior to Easter. Bust the moves and get the pent up insanity out’ve your system before the grey-ash days of fasting and sacrifice of Lent.
The local indigenous populations took right to it as it co-incided with many of their own religious holidays.
Party with the overlord Spaniards! Everyone is equal behind the masks. Peasants, farmers, merchants, soldiers, royalty, friars and Indians mixed it up. Everyone is your bro. It’s like the file clerks wearing lampshades at the Christmas party and getting to dance with the boss’s secretary in front of the board of directors. Everyone gets a pass. And God or gods say it’s OK.
A perfect storm. The perfect reason to FESTEJAR! Party! Break the rules. Be all you’ve always wanted to be. Let out the repressed inner child. Cross dressing was fine. Be a nun. Be a clown. Drink like fish. Dance like no one is watching. Lust like bunnies and wear masks and costumes to hide your identity. Be loud and blow horns and make music to chase away the evil was the attitude of the week-long-celebration.
In the 18th century, the Spanish Crown understandably felt it was getting out-of-hand and aggressively repressed much of the revelry. In the 19th century post Mexican Revolution, again, the political newbies suppressed the party because of its’ ties to the colonial past.
However, by the late 1800’s the event staged a growing comeback. But, it’s tough to snuff out a good reason to party.
Largely divorcing itself from it’s religious roots and gaining popularity as a huge social and community event, Carnivale spread throughout the Latino Americas and New World.
In many cities like Rio de Janiero, Carnivale (Mardi Gras) has become synonymous with the city itself. Many Americans are, of course, familiar with Mardi Gras in New Orleans which is a direct descent from it’s Spanish heritate.
Mexico is no slouch. Huge celebrations in Veracruz and Mazatlan draw thousands of revelers from throughout Mexico as well as internationally. Like most modern carnivals, they are marked with the election of a carnival king and queen, the burning or condemning of an effigy of “bad humor”, floats, parades, street vendors and music of all types.
Mazatlan has the oldest of the modern carnivals dating back more than 100 years to 1898.
The two major celebrations in Baja take place in Ensenada and La Paz. La Paz’ celebrations also date back to the 1890’s. Ensenada can fill with more than 300,000 visitors during Carnivale.
Taking place over 6 days, hundreds of thousands attend the giant street fairs which are filled with food, music, concerts, parades and activities of all types. Many of the attendees are Californians who come annually from across the border.
If you’re headed to either city or other major cities in Mexico between Feb. 4-9, bring your party dress. It’s a great opportunity to participate and witness a truly grand party. Vamos a festejar!
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter-international.com. They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com or drop by the restaurant to say hi!
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