Sunday, 1 June 2025

Festivals in the Hispanic World: Celebrations that Preserve Culture

 Festivals in South American Countries

In all Latin American countries, countless festivals are celebrated, ranging from vibrant carnivals and solemn religious observances to colourful, cultural and musical events. Each country and region preserve their own traditions, passed down from generation to generation as an authentic expression of cultural identity.

The study of festivals allows students to deepen their understanding of the diverse cultural expressions found in each nation. Through these events, it is possible to explore key aspects such as history, customs, artistic expressions, and the social organization that brings each celebration to life.

The Hispanic world is characterized by its great cultural diversity and its wealth of festivals and fairs, which play a fundamental role in preserving cultural roots and sharing various traditions with the world. During these events, a wide array of cultural expressions are showcased, including dance, cuisine, exhibitions, and other forms of artistic expressions.

In this article, I will present some of the most important festivals celebrated in a few Spanish-speaking countries. I have excluded Colombia, as last month’s article discussed several festivals from this country in detail. I will not mention festivals from Spain, Mexico, or the Caribbean, as I will dedicate a separate article to those.

 Viña del Mar International Song Festival - Chile

This festival began in 1960 and is the most important music festival in Latin America. Held annually in the city of Viña del Mar, Chile. It is also one of the region’s most prestigious events. It brings together national and international artists who compete in various musical categories, including popular music, classical, sacred, opera, instrumental, salsa, and Latin and urban pop, among other genres.

This festival holds significant importance in the music world. Every year, it features performances by internationally renowned artist. Famous singers such as Celia Cruz, Bad Bunny, and Karol G have taken the stage at the Quinta Vergara Amphitheatre, the venue where the festival is held at the end of February.

More than just a competition, the Vina del Mar Festival is a celebration of musical diversity and cultural exchange, uniting audiences from across different countries through the universal language of music.

 Grape Harvest Festival - Argentina

 
Seventy percent of Argentina’s vineyards are located in the province of Mendoza, as emblematic region for wine production. Since 1936, Mendoza has celebrated the Fiesta de la Vendimia (Grape Harvest Festival), an event that honours the hard work behind grape cultivation and harvest, as well as the winemaking process - cornerstones of the region’s cultural and economic identity.

This festival has its roots in the era of large migratory waves, when communities would celebrate and give thanks for nature’s bounty at the end of the harvest and wine production season. They did so through dances, songs, and the election of a beauty queen, who was ultimately crowned with grape clusters as a symbol of prosperity and abundance.

 Oruro Carnival - Bolivia

The Oruro Carnival is a religious, folkloric, and cultural celebration held each year between late February and early March in the city of Oruro.

The carnival traditionally lasts six days and is one of Bolivia’s largest festivals. It is widely known for its stunning parade of folkloric dances, music, colourful costumes, and devotion to the Lady of the Socavón.

More than 28,000 dancers and 10,000 musicians participate in the parade, which blends Indigenous and Catholic traditions. Due to its immense cultural value, it has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 La Mama Negra Festival - Ecuador

This festival is celebrated in the city of Latacunga and blends Indigenous, African, and Spanish traditions, which has earned its recognition as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Nation. La Mama Negra is celebrated twice a year, in September and November. During the festivities, there are parades with masquerade troupes, dancing, music, and more.

The celebration honours the Lady of Mercy (Virgen de las Mercedes), who is believed to have stopped the eruption of the Cotopaxi Volcano in 1742. The figure of La Mama Negra - a man dressed as a woman - symbolises fertility, motherhood, and protection.

San Juan Festival - Paraguay

This is one of Paraguay’s most traditional festivals, dating back to colonial times. It is celebrated every year on June 24th throughout the country in honour of Saint John the Baptist.

It is worth noting that June is a wintertime in Paraguay, meaning it is cold and there is less daylight -making fire a central element of the celebration.

In addition to traditional food, Paraguayans enjoy music and dancing. People participate in tatá ári jehasa, which involves walking barefoot over burning embers. There is also the pelota tatá, where a cloth ball soaked in fuel is set on fire and thrown around the crowd, who try to avoid it. Another event is the toro candil, a parody of bullfighting where a person dressed as a bull, with wooden horns and tufts of fuel-soaked rags set on fire, chases after people as they try to dodge it.

Inti Raymi - Peru

 
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/

This ancient festival is said to have been established around 1430 by Inca Pachacutec to honour the Sun God. However, during colonial times, Viceroy Francisco de Toledo banned it, considering it a pagan celebration. Many years later, in 1944, the festival was revived when writer Francisco Espinoza wrote, directed, and presented a reenactment of the ceremony.

Today, the festival is celebrated annually. Participants dress in traditional Inca attire, sing chants in the Quechua language, and perform traditional dances.

Just as in the times of the Inca Empire, a man portraying the Inca is carried on a golden litter, accompanied by the orejones - nobles entrusted with bearing him. The Inca then delivers a ceremonial speech of gratitude to the Sun God.

Montevideo Carnival - Uruguay

This carnival is celebrated from late January to early March and lasts for over 40 days, making it one of the longest carnivals in the world.

It could be said that the festival has European origins, as the conquistadores brought their traditions and celebrations, which were later integrated into the local carnival. During colonial times, enslaved Africans in Montevideo would dress in colourful robes and parade through the streets to the city walls, where they were allowed to sing and perform their dances.

This vibrant and diverse festival includes customs, parades, and murga competitions, among other festivities.

 El Callao Carnival - Venezuela

This celebration represents Afro-Caribbean identity, and its stunningly colourful customs captivate visitors. Due to its great cultural importance, in 2016 UNESCO inscribed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It takes place from January to March in El Callao, a city in the state of Bolivar.

The festival features calypso music, which has roots in the French-speaking Caribbean islands like Trinidad and Tobago and Martinique. The music incorporates drums, the Venezuelan cuatro (a small guitar), cowbells, and the rayo (a traditional percussion instrument).

As with all carnivals, traditional characters play a vital role. Among them, Las Madamas stand out - they are the carriers and communicators of the community’s cultural values. Other notable figures include the medios-pintos, men covered in black paint or another dark substance who walk the streets shouting, ¡Medio o te pinto! (Give me a coin of I will paint you!), as well as other characters such as miners and devils.

These festivals not only offer moments of joy and community but also serve as powerful expressions of identify and cultural memory. They remind people that tradition is alive and constantly evolving - celebrated not just in the past, but in the vibrant present of each generation.

In summary, this article has offered a concise overview to some of the most significant festivals from each country, though the Hispanic world celebrates a vast array of traditional festivities with cultural, religious, and even sporting significance. In my next article, I will discuss festivals in Mexico, Central American countries, and the Caribbean nations.

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