COLOMBIA’S GREAT CULTURAL EXPRESSION

Posted July 3, 2016

Experiencing the Blancos y Negros Carnival is perhaps one of the best options for any traveller looking for a different way to celebrate the arrival of the new year.

Taking place between 2nd – 7th January in the southwestern city of Pasto, the culmination of the festival is its last two days. During these two days, all celebrants wear black face paints on the first day and white paints on the second. It’s very much a free for all (much like the Hindu festival of Holi) with all participants painting and dusting one another with anything from talcum powder to black paint.

The festival draws on the countries indigenous, Spanish, and African traditions, but these last two days best symbolise the unity amongst the different ethnic groups in Colombia. This particular part of the carnival dates back to Spanish rule, when slaves were permitted to celebrate one of their own festivals on 5th January. Slave masters would paint their faces black to show their agreement and understanding that the slaves were free men for the day.

These two days of the festival form only part of Blancos y Negros Carnival. Another portion of the carnival is known as Castañeda Family Parade and comes the day before on 4th January. On this day huge colourful floats (that can depict almost anything) parade down the people-lined streets to the sound of drums and whistles.

The large part that this day plays in the carnival’s proceedings is surprising given that the origins of this particular day really aren’t based on very much! The presence of floats is said to represent the arrival of the Castañeda family in Pasto in the late 1920’s. This family apparently arrived during another local parade featuring horses (known as ‘Cabalgata’). The large Castañeda family, who arrived with all their livestock following them, apparently thought those who had turned out to see the horses were actually there to welcome their family – a comic misunderstanding that seemed to have immortalised them in Pasto’s biggest celebration!

Blancos y Negros may not have clear roots, but it’s this great mix of influences that makes this carnival special as a celebration of the diversity of Colombian culture.