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Carnaval de Negros y Blancos 1
Carnaval de Negros y Blancos 2
Carnaval de Negros y Blancos 3
Carnaval de Negros y Blancos 4
Carnaval de Negros y Blancos 5
© UNESCO · Wikimedia Commons
UNESCO ICHRepresentative ListInscribed 2009

Carnaval de Negros y Blancos

Practised In

Overview

Arising out of native Andean and Hispanic traditions, the Carnaval de negros y blancos (Black and White Carnival) in San Juan de Pasto in south-western Colombia is a great celebration lasting from 28 December to 6 January each year. The celebrations begin on the 28th with the Carnival of Water − the throwing of water in homes and on the streets to initiate a festive mood. On New Year’s Eve, the Old Year’s parade takes place, with marchers carrying satirical figures representing celebrities and current events, and culminating in a ritual burning of the passing year. The main days of the carnival are the last two, when people of all ethnicities don black cosmetics on the first day, then white talcum on the next to symbolize equality and integrate all citizens through a celebration of ethnic and cultural difference. The Black and White Carnival is a period of intense communion, when private homes become collective workshops for the display and transmission of carnival arts and a wide range of people come together to express their views of life. The festival is especially important as the expression of a mutual desire for a future of tolerance and respect.

About Carnaval de Negros y Blancos

Blacks and Whites' Carnival is a Carnival public festival and parade in southern Colombia established in 1546. Although its geographical location belongs to the city of Pasto, it has been adopted by other municipalities in Nariño and southwestern Colombia. It is celebrated every year in 2–7 January and attracts a considerable number of Colombian and foreign tourists.

Read more on Wikipedia

Domains

Details

Country
Colombia
Inscribed
2009
Register
Representative List
Reference
287
View on UNESCO ICH website
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