Carnaval Vegano 2025. La Vega, Dominican Republic

Carnaval Vegano 2025. La Vega, Dominican Republic. 9 February 2025.
The Carnival in the Dominican Republic is celebrated in most cities and towns in the main streets of the country. Among its most notable characteristics are its flashy elaborate costumes and traditional masks. The carnival held in the city of La Vega, which is one of the biggest in the country, and the national parade in Santo Domingo, were the first Carnivals held in the Americas in the early 1500s.
Diablo Cojuelo (Limping Devil): is the main character of the carnival. A tale on the island says that this devil was banished to earth because of his childish pranks. When he hit the earth he hurt his leg, causing him to limp. While most of the communities across the island represent this character in different ways, several common practices are the use of a mask, a satanic suit, sleigh bells, and a whip or "Vejiga" (an animal bladder filled with air) to hit people in the streets (other "Diablos"). A Dominican tale claims that the mask is meant to represent the Spaniards who came to the island and enslaved and whipped the natives.

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