One more time Olas Altas will be barricaded, buses will
be diverted and the annual argument over the distribution of condoms will soon
begin. It’s time for Carnaval.
The history of Carnaval goes back thousands of years and relates to the
biblical 40 days of Lent. This is the time when, according to the Bible, Jesus
Christ fasted in the desert. In the Catholic Church, Lent begins on Ash
Wednesday, which is 46 days before Easter. It ends on Maundy Thursday (Holy
Thursday), the Thursday before Easter.
Many argue that Carnaval originated as a pagan festival in ancient Egypt
which was subsequently celebrated by the Greeks and then the Romans. They argue
it was later adopted by the Roman Catholic Church in Italy when the church
started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival right before the first
day of Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they
called their festival,
carnevale — which means “to put away the
meat.”
But wherever it started, as time passed, the Italian Carnavals became quite
popular and spread to the other Catholic countries in Europe. Then as the
French, Spanish and Portuguese began to take control of the Americas and other
parts of the world, they brought with them their tradition of celebrating
Carnaval.
As I have seen with most celebrations in México, today Mexican celebrations
are an amalgamation of the cultures of the Spaniards, the Mayans and the Aztec
people. With Carnaval, the influence of Africa joins the mix. Initially,
however, the celebration of Carnaval followed the European traditions, as the
indigenous people and Africans were excluded. The masked balls were held
indoors, but often moved onto the streets.
Most historians seem to agree that as far as México is concerned, the
celebration of Carnaval began in Veracruz, the port city where most ships coming
to or leaving from New Spain would dock. As the Spaniards celebrated their
Carnaval the indigenous population celebrated
Nemontemi (the empty
days). This was a period of five days that had been added to the Aztec calendar
to round it out to 365 days. It took place in February around the time the
Spaniards were celebrating Carnaval. Masks were worn during this festival to
repel and confuse evil spirits.
The choosing of a King and Queen for Carnaval probably finds its roots in the
celebrations of the African slaves. Since many of the slaves came from the
Congo, during one of their festivals they would elect a king and queen of the
Congo. The slaves would put together natural objects (bones, grasses, beads,
shells, fabric) to create a piece of sculpture, a mask, or costume, with each
object or combination of objects representing a certain idea or spiritual
force.
By the late 1700s the Carnaval-goers in the port city, wearing colorful
costumes and dancing to African-derived chuchumbé rhythms, had attracted the
attention of local clergy, who communicated their concerns to church officials
in México City.
Despite the disapproval of the clergy, the celebration of Carnaval steadily
evolved during the nineteenth century. The participants included both members of
the local elite, who tended towards more exclusive indoor balls, and the city’s
Africans and indigenous people, who gathered at raucous outdoor street
celebrations and public dances over the two-week period leading up to Ash
Wednesday.
When Ferdinand Maximilian became the Emperor of México in 1863, he and his
conservative Mexican supporters decided to regulate the popular festival. The
resulting 1867 “El Carnaval del Imperio” restricted celebrants to a mere three
days of partying and stipulated that public processions could only take place
within the walls of the city between the hours of six and eight in the evening.
The ruling allowed for three public dances to be held at an area just outside
the city wall. Approved costumed balls for the city’s elite were held at the
Teatro Principal.
The celebration of Carnaval slowed after México’s independence, as the
governing liberals discouraged it saying the celebration was a holdover from the
country’s colonial past. Beginning in the late 19
th and early
20
th century the festival made something of a comeback in areas like
Mazatlán (1898) and Veracruz (1925).
Today the Carnaval celebrations in Mazatlán and Veracruz are the best-known
in México. However, Carnaval is celebrated in over 225 different Mexican cities
and towns. I have heard some say that Carnaval is celebrated only in port
cities. Although some of the more well-known ones are held in such cities,
Carnaval is not their exclusive domain. The land-locked Mexican cities of
Tlaxcala, Merida and Autlán are included in the list of México’s top Carnavals.
And that is not just true in México. Named among the most popular Carnavals in
the world are those celebrated in the land-locked cities of Waldkirch, Germany,
Luzon, Spain and Lozovik, Serbia.
Every year since I moved to México almost 13 years ago, I have heard that the
Carnaval in Mazatlán is the third largest in the world, behind those held in Rio
de Janeiro and New Orleans. I am not a fan of adjectives of adoration, such as
biggest, safest, and best. They are almost always used as a fact, not an
opinion. I have never heard an automobile manufacturer say “We believe our car
is the safest.”
Nor do they say in what regard is their product the best. Have
you ever heard a computer maker say, “Ours is the best in processing speed.”
There are never any qualifiers. The same is true with the statement “The
Mazatlán Carnaval is the biggest in México.”
That statement has always piqued my interest; so while working on this
article I decided to see if it were true. The only other Carnaval in México that
would be Mazatlán’s competitor would be one held in Veracruz. In making my
determination I compared attendance, financial impact on the city, the length of
the celebration, number of parades, and how long the celebration has been going
on.
The results of my investigation show that according the Secretary of Tourism
for the state of Veracruz, Harry Grappa Guzmán, attendance at its 2014 Carnaval
topped 1,000,000 people and the financial impact on the city was 250,000,000
pesos ($19 million). Officials at Cultura’s office told me that Sinaloa’s
Secretary of Tourism, Francisco Córdova Celaya, says last year’s attendance at
the Mazatlán Carnaval was 600,000. I could not find the financial impact the
festival had on Mazatlán last year. But following the 2012 Carnaval the then
Head of Cultura, Raúl Rico, appeared before the Municipal Council and
reported that the income from the 2012 Carnaval was 29,231,199 pesos
($2,221,571). To me, at least, these numbers would not suggest a positive
financial impact on the city of over $20 million or that every attendee spent on
average over 400 pesos ($30).
Not counting pre-Carnaval events, the Carnaval in Veracruz always last nine
days and has six parades. This year it begins on February 10 and ends on
February 18. Mazatlán’s Carnaval lasts six days and this year begins on February
12 and ends on February 17. Mazatlán hosts three parades.
As mentioned earlier in this article historians say México’s first
celebration of Carnaval was held in the city of Veracruz. It is true; however,
that Carnaval as we now know it began in Veracruz in 1925, over 25 years later
than Mazatlán’s first Carnaval celebration.
So which Carnaval in México is the biggest? I will leave it up to my readers
to decide.
Have fun at this year’s Carnaval and be safe.
Note:
Lois Croly, founder of Hospice Mazatlán and one of its board members, tells
me that as a part of the Cancer Prevention Class 140 pap smears were completed.
120 were covered by Habitat and 20 were paid for by the readers of my December
15
th article.
The results were significant. One woman was found to have cancer and two
women were found to have dysplasia. All three were referred to physicians for
treatment. Sixty percent of the ladies were found to have a degree of cystocele
(a medical condition that occurs when the tough fibrous wall between a woman’s
bladder and her vagina is torn by childbirth, allowing the bladder to herniate
into the vagina). Fifty percent of the women had sub clinical infections and
were treated by the doctor who gave the pap smears.
Lois, Hospice Mazatlán and I thank you for your generous support.
