In the United States, the best time to dress up in scary costumes is Halloween. In the Dominican Republic, it is during Carnaval which is in February! My friends and I had a lot of fun learning about the different characters, traditions, history and ways this colorful celebration is connected to its local environment!
I learned about the tradition of Carnaval. During a Dominican carnaval in La Vega, there is a parade where people dress up as "diablitos": fearsome creatures that represent immorality and sin. Carnaval is celebrated the day before Lent as a way for people to get all their "sins" out of their system before they have to give them up during Lent, a time of fasting and contemplation. During Lent, the Church traditionally reflects on Jesus' preparation to be crucified before he resurrects to eternal life. The music during Carnaval is so loud, I could not hear anything my friends tried to tell me, whether I was inside or outside. Different groups of diablitos have different costumes, and they usually all carry a club-like paddle that feels a lot like a punching bag. You have to always be on the lookout for a diablito sneaking up from behind because they might hit you with it. I was hit so hard, it left a bruise that was still visible in July (Carnaval is in February). My friend's hand started bleeding from how badly he was hit.
