Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
FESTIVAL DE CORPUS CHRISTI
By far the most fascinating and famous of La Villa's celebrations is the
Festival de Corpus
Christi
, a heady mix of
Christian
and
pagan
imagery in an exciting narrative of dance,
drama and dialogue. It features a cast of larger-than-life characters and dancers decked out
in extravagant costumes, interwoven with a series of religious ceremonies. Corpus Christi
became an important tool in Spanish colonization across Latin America, as the invaders at-
tempted to woo the indigenous population to the Christian faith by incorporating elements
of their traditions and rituals into the ecclesiastical ceremonies. Though there is plenty of
local variation, the basic good-versus-evil plot is the same.
The action starts on the Saturday before Corpus Christi when church bells at noon bring
hordes of
diablos sucios
(dirty devils) rampaging onto the streets. Clad in crimson-and-
black-striped jumpsuits, wearing ferocious devil masks with flame-coloured headdresses
and letting off fireworks at will, they terrify all and sundry to the beat of drums and
whistles. Fast forward to Wednesday, several masses later, when at 11.30am on the Eve
of Corpus Christi, the Diabla or Diablesa (though as with all roles, performed by a male)
also races around the town announcing the arrival of her husband, the Diablo Mayor, who
convenes with three other devils in the central plaza. Joking and knocking back the booze,
they carve up the globe in a bid for world domination. Before dawn on Corpus Christi,
Santeños roam around town, on foot and on horseback, in search of the Torito Santeño - a
man in a bull's costume - who is causing havoc, but is eventually rounded up in the
Danza
del Torito
as the party proceeds through the streets to a large communal breakfast. The
centrepiece of the drama unfolds mid-morning before the church, on a magnificent carpet
of petals, as the Archangel Michael and the
diablos limpios
(clean devils), distinguishable
from the bad guys by their white sleeves and a rainbow of handkerchiefs attached to the
waist, vanquish the villains in the Danza del Gran Diablo or Diablitos Limpios before al-
lowing them in to the service. All the dance troupes - including an assortment of dwarves,
roosters, vultures, Mexican conquistadors and escaped African slaves - attend the mass,
which then relocates outside as Holy Communion is offered to the townsfolk before the
serious partying begins.
Further merrymaking takes place a week later culminating in Saturday's
Día del Turismo
,
which provides a highlights show on stage in the plaza, and Sunday's Día de la Mujer, of-
fering Santeñas, whom tradition has prohibited from participating thus far, the chance to
dust off their
polleras
and join in the fun.
Museo de la Nacionalidad
North side of Parque Simón Bolívar • Tues-Sat 8.30am-3.30pm, closed for lunch • Free •
966 8192
