Ciao!

Give the Devil his due

Today is Ash Wednesday. I'm going to the 5:30pm mass at St. Tom's (my parish). I'll admit that I've not been to mass very regularly this winter. I could blame the weather (it is hard to make that trek in the bitter cold). But it's mostly been my own laziness and lack of care. I guess that's what Lent is for.

Don't worry, there's no sermon coming. I keep my religion mostly personal.

But here's what Bolivian Carnaval (Mardi Gras) looks like. The devil costumes are some of the craziest, so intricate and colorful. They're also extremely heavy; dance troops practice for months. The entire procession - or entrada - tells a story. There are devils, angels, bears, conquistadores in horse costumes, and pretty girls. The finale involves the archangel Michael fighting the devil in a blinding clash of swords, all while whirling and spinning to a brass band.

Here's what carnaval is like in different regions of Bolivia. The pages are all in Spanish (it's the website for Bolivia's embassy in Argentina), but you'll like the pictures. About.com has an English description of the festivities in Oruro.

When I was in first grade - at Colegio Río Nuevo - a practice procession marched down Avenida Kennedy right past my school. At first, we only faintly heard distant cornets and drums. Our ears perked up, the usual suspects already leaning over their desks, ready to spring to action. Soon, teachers were unable to restrain us from pouring out classrooms in a mad dash to the front gates. Some of us climbed high up the iron gates for a better view. It was magical.

Posted by Miguel at 09:46 AM