Written by Carpe Mundi Student Gwen
Carnival is a holiday that combines catholic religion and Andean culture in a form of syncretism. Lasting a total of forty days before holy week, carnival is a time to let loose and celebrate fertility, crops, and rainy season. Traditionally it is also a time for some young men and women to experiment with sexuality. This correlates with the holiday Todos Santo that comes nine months after carnival. Todos Santo is traditionally celebrated with little baby shaped breads.
My experience with carnival has been exciting, I first experienced the celebration in Toro Toro, with guitar playing, dancing, singing, and eating. The celebration in Tiquipaya brought on the same sense of community but on a larger scale. Have you ever seen an army of princess peaches marching by? Or a group of Mickey Mouses dancing in unison? Also, prepare to receive an unsolicited shower. Cans of projectile soap are available to purchase all along the street, as well as water balloons and water guns. In my epic battle with Rory and Cam, I unfortunately had a third party bucket of water dumped on my head. I had to retreat but Rory and Cam were still enjoying mouthfuls and earfuls of soap. Entonces, Carnival es muy divertido! What if we celebrated Earth day in America as enthusiastically as people here celebrate carnival?
