Black and White Carnival, also known as Carnaval de Negros y Blancos is a great annual celebration of native Andean and Hispanic traditions that takes place in San Juan de Pasto in south-western Colombia lasting from 28 December to 6 January.
It is generally accepted that the modern carnival began on 6 January 1912, on the eve of an Epiphany day, as a way to express imagination, play, friendship, and the joy of the season. It was in the House of the Misses Robby located in the Calle Real (current 25th Carrera) that the audacity of Don Angel Maria Lopez Zarama, the renowned tailor of the city, was revealed. After he had taken the French face powder of one of the most requested ladies, he began to spread it and some woman's perfume, with the slogan Vivan Los Blanquitos! (means: live the Whiteies!). Soon, the master cutter's companions and the victims of the face powder joined him. After the jokes were repeated, everyone would follow the unsuspecting parishioners leaving the Kings' Mass, who were exiting San Juan Bautista from the nearby church, who would repeat: *Que Vivan Los Negros, and Vivan Los Blancos! This means; here live the Blacks and here live the Whites! The expression was forever instilled into the essence of Pasto. However, this characterization and differentiation characterize and differentiate Pasto's Carnival festivities, which are influenced by other cultures and expressions.
In order to initiate the festive mood, the Carnival of Water is thrown in homes and on the streets on the 28th. On New Year's Eve, the Old Year's parade is held, featuring satirical figures depicting celebrities and current events. The parade ends with the ritual burning of the past year. The carnival's most important days are the last two when people of all ethnicities wear black cosmetics on the first day, and white talcum on the next, to symbolize equality and integration through the celebration of ethnic and cultural differences. During the Black and White Carnival, private homes become collective workshops for displaying and transmitting carnival arts, and a wide variety of people gather to share their opinions. The festival is especially important as an expression of a mutual desire for tolerance and respect in the future.
Today, the Blacks and Whites' Carnival has been recognized and accredited by the international community and agencies such as the Unesco, officially introducing the celebrations in the globalized world, such as Astangible Human Heritage.
References
(https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/carnaval-de-negros-y-blancos-00287) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blacks_and_Whites%27_Carnival#21st_century) |Subject=Entertainment and Recreation |Country=Colombia |Region=San Juan |SDG=(08) Decent Work and Economic Growth, (09) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, (10) Reduced Inequalities, (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities }}