Carnival is a joyful three days's celebration which takes place during the week before Christian Lent. The origins of this public festival can be traced back to Greek and Roman spring and New Year celebrations. Nevertheless, the word carnival was not coined until the 15th century in Europe, and it derives from the Italian term carnevale, which refers to the religious duty of meat fasting during Lent. This feast combines, on the one hand, a religious character which gained strength in Europe in Medieval times, and a satirical pagan one based on popular tradition, on the other. Disguises made it possible to change social places and even sex: a slave disguised as a noble; a person disguised as an animal; or even a man, as a woman. It was a time of joy when a dream could come true and you could be whatever you wanted. Carnival reached the New World with the Spanish conquerors, and once in America it embodied aboriginal elements and customs brought by African slaves. In our country, carnival was born with the Spanish rule; but the immigration wave which reached our coast at the beginning of the 20th century gave this joyful festival its true character. Usually celebrated with parades, fancy dress balls and merrymaking, the carnival was a time of joy and fun. The little soldier, the count, the pierrot, the Spanish peasant, they all patiently queued up in front of the photographic studio to have their picture taken. Those
of us who cherish
old photographs are used to searching flea markets and
old bookstores for those sweet mementos of a time already
gone. |
