La Paz Mardi Gras celebrations
February 22, 2009 | Filed Under Carnaval La Paz | Leave a Comment
Looking for a unique Carnival (Carnaval in Spanish) experience close to home with a foreign feel? Search no further than our southern Baja California, México. Hosting an array of parades, parties, concerts, culinary festivals, cultural programs and beauty pageants, Baja Sur’s coastal city at the bay, La Paz offer Mardi Gras celebrations comparable to those in New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro or anywhere else in the world. Celebrated the week prior to Ash Wednesday and normally lasting a little less than a week, Carnival in Mexico has a long tradition dating back to the nineteenth century. Coming from the Latin word Carnavale, meaning “goodbye to the flesh,” Carnival refers to the week before Lent (Cuaresma), where carefree abandonment and indulgence are encouraged.
Kick-off begins with the burning of El Mal Humor (Bad Mood), in which an effigy, usually modeled after an unpopular politician of the day, is hung and burned, followed by a flurry of confetti and fireworks. This gives commencement to nearly a week of festivities in some of Mexico’s most popular coastal cities, including Campeche, Mazatlan, Veracruz, Merida and La Paz just to name a few. Host cities celebrate all sorts of parades daily, depending on the local carnival’s theme, which differs from region to region. Parades display an array of floats decoratively inspired by Mexican scenery and normally featuring bright flowers and live entertainment.