פסטיבלים, חגים ופולקלור מקומי באורורו ”פיאסטה דל סנטילדה / דל גראן פודר“

לפניכם פירוט על חגיגות פיאסטה דל סנטילדה בבוליביה:

This fiesta (Fiesta del Sentilde; or Del Gran Poder) has some bloques (carnaval groups) dancing in all kinds of costumes, including the famous diablada (the devil`s carnaval). It is not as big as the carnaval, but most travelers don`t come to Bolivia for carnaval because it is the rainy season, while this fiesta is in the dry season.

WHEN:

13-15 of September (at least this was the date in 2002, but dates of festivals and carnavals seem to change from year to year).

WHAT:

In the first day there is a contest with trophies, so the bloques try harder and therefore it is the best day (in my opinion at least). The parade starts at about 3pm from the school on the highway, passes through the plaza in front of the alcaldia (municipality) where the judges sit (and where the parade is in its best...) and ends in the church at about 10pm. The bloques have themes in their costumes from the various parts of Bolivia, and always include dancing cholas. (Yes, these dry almost antipathic cholas can dance!) The last bloque is the diablada, which is not part of the contest.

The second day starts with a mass in the church at about 11am, and afterwards the bloques dance to the plaza. Some of the dancers prefer to leave parts (or all) of the costumes at home, and no diablada this day...