About the Folk Festivals

The tradition of "carnival" dates back to the Middle Ages and is still observed in most of Europe and the Americas.The word itself is said to come from the Latin carne vale, ("farewell to flesh") or Fiestas de carnestolenda.

These celebrations take place approximately three days before Ash Wednesday. For three days and three nights people celebrate with boisterous celebrations that feature extravagant costumes and themes before preparing their souls for the coming Lenten fast. Carnival celebrations reached Puerto Rico by way of Spanish settlers in the 18th century where they were adapted into a uniquely Puerto Rican experience.

The tradition of the festivals on the island has been kept alive in three of its cities. Loíza (northeast), Hatillo (northwest), and Ponce (south) have each lent their own distinctive personality to these festivals, seen in the masks created for them.

The use of masks for social and religious ceremonies in Puerto Rico goes back to the late 17th century, when techniques and materials such as papier mäché were adopted from Asia. Today, construction techniques vary from town to town and aesthetics are ruled strictly by the artist. This new generation of artists explore contemporary themes in their work, but there are still those artisans dedicated to preserving classical mask-making traditions.

The Vejigante and the Folk Festivals of Puerto Rico, by Edwin Fontánez.

Fall 2002