CARNIVAL - Tlaxcala, Mexico
Spanish colonists brought carnaval to Mexico in the 17th century. Wealthy Mexicans and Spaniards living in Tlaxcala held elaborate parties and masked balls where guests performed the square dances popular at that time. After Mexico gained its independence from Spain in 1821, Tlaxcalan Indians began organizing their own carnival festivities combining native rites of farming and Christian traditions with satirical masquerades of wealthy Europeans.
Tlaxcala's carnival starts each year on the Friday before Ash Wednesday. The traditional Quema del Mal Humor (burning of bad moods) opens the festivities with a procession for a paper puppet in a coffin, representing bad moods. The puppet is then burned, along with dark pieces of paper
symbolizing anger and sadness.
Performance groups parade through the streets in costumes that celebrate and poke fun at the tradition and history of the region. The charros cover their faces with realistic pink-skinned masks portraying young Caucasian men. They wear a fancy version of ranchero clothing and carry a coiled rope in one hand. In an exaggeration of 19th Century rancherhats, the dancers' headdresses are ornamented with draped fabric and an enormous framework of colored ostrich feathers.
The chivarrudos represent lower-class Mexicans who ran cattle through Tlaxcala in the late 19th and early 20th century. Their name comes from their chaps which are made from the hides of goats (chivos). Local Indian residents viewed the cattlemen with great humor and developed the chivarrudo carnival masquerade to imitate and make fun of them.
El catrine is a masquerade worn by groups of men It is an impersonation of French dandies who were seen on the streets of large cities in this region. Along with beautiful Caucasian masks, the catrines wear tuxedos, top hats, and embroidered scarves and carry umbrellas. Their female dance partners wear matching dresses, ranging from short skirts to full-length evening gowns.
Small groups of amateur musicians play polkas, mazurkas, and schottische-style music for the Carnival groups. The bands follow the dancers on foot as they move through the streets of their neighborhoods, setting up at each new location where the troupe stops to perform.RESOURCES
AYS enriches the learning and well-being of children in a safe, caring and fun environment outside of the school day. To learn more about AYS please visit www.ayskids.org.
AYS, Inc.
4755 Kingsway Drive, Suite 300
Indianapolis, IN 46205
(317) 283-3817