And we got the five of us to the famous Carnaval Vegano 2019!
Just two days ago we experienced the Carnaval Vegano as a family, and some people have already asked us about our experience, and about whether it is possible to take there the little ones of the house. Here we tell you.
When planning the trip, the first thing was to prepare the children for what they would see: many people! Yes, many! Calculate that thousands of people, local and international, come together for this cultural event, which is a tradition every February. The second, that they will see some characters called Diablos Cojuelos, who because of their disguises are scary, even though they play a naughty and playful role. Also, they love to pose in front of the cameras. But, what really scares people is that they walk with a "vejiga", to literally give "vejigazos" to those who walk in the streets.
The good news for children is that Diablos Cojuelos can not give a "vejigazo" to kids, which makes them feel very relieved. And for adults who do not want to try a "vejigazo", there are safe areas such as sidewalks and other areas bounded by fences. With this we want to tell you: you can enjoy the Carnaval Vegano as a family and you do not necessarily have to try the famous "vejigazo" (which by the way, beliefs say it scares the evil spirits from you).
The whole town of La Vega gathers from mid-morning to wait for "El Carnavalito", which starts at 12 noon at Parque Duarte. This event is especially dedicated to children, where dance groups perform dances, play instruments and children dress up.
There are sale of all kinds of games for children: masks, whistles, balloons and the famous“vejigas”of Diablos Cojuelos. Among the foods and beverages you can find: sweets, ice cream, popcorn, frío-friío, grilled sausages, beers, soft drinks, among others. Music is one of the protagonists of the day, wherever you move.
We were able to observe security around the perimeter where the carnival was being held, which gave us great peace of mind. A very good organization was present during our visit.
In the afternoon, starting at 3:00 p.m., all the Diablos Cojuelos groups start to come out of their caves: among the famous ones we can mention Los Broncos, Las Fieras, Las Hormigas, etc. We saw the parede from inside the patio of people from town. Do you know how many Diablos Cojuelos were in the parede? The modest sum of 2,500!
CARNIVAL MUSEUM
This is something you should not miss. It has just 1 year since its opening of this museum completely dedicated to the Dominican carnival. The entrance fee is RD$100.00 for adults, and children enter for free. The opening hours are Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 10:00 am - 1:00 pm and from 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm. It is located in the Parque de Las Flores, in the heart of La Vega.
There they gave us a guided tour, where they explained us the different characters by region, and how they differ from each other.
In Santo Domingo, La Vega, and San Cristóbal they are called Diablos Cojuelos.
In Santiago they are called Los Lechones, but there are several types of lechones, depending on the neighborhood of the city they come from. Some are called "Los Joyeros" from La Joya neighborhood, others are called "Los Pepineros" from Los Pepines neighborhood.
In the southern region, Cabral, Barahona, Neiba and even Pedernales, are known as "Los Cachúas".
Other important characters are the "Roba La Gallina", the "Califé", the "Platanuses", the "Papeluses", among others.
The variety of costumes, masks, paintings and any memory that leads us to think about the Dominican carnival, rests in this museum.
And as people from town says: “In La Vega, we are all good”.
