Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
| Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra | |
|---|---|
| Type | Cultural, religious |
| Significance | Pre-Easter celebration |
| Celebrations | Parades, coronations, traditional games, and dances |
| Begins | First weekend in January (Pre-Carnival celebrations) |
| Ends | Ash Wednesday (carnavalito) |
| Date | March 1st (official) |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Related to | Carnival, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Holy Week |
The Carnival of Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Spanish: Carnaval de Santa Cruz de la Sierra), also known as the "Big Festival of the Cruceños" (Spanish: Fiesta Grande de los Cruceños), is a cultural and religious festival of Spanish origin celebrated in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.[1] It has been officially held since 1561, coinciding with the city's founding. The celebration officially begins with a grand folkloric parade called "El Corso," in which numerous comparsas (carnival troupes) participate.[2]
The Santa Cruz carnival is the largest and one of the oldest in the country;[3] after Carnaval de Oruro, this is Bolivia's second most important carnival.[4] In 2013, it was declared a Cultural Heritage of Bolivia under the "Law of Carnival".[5][6] It is one of the largest carnivals in South America, with 4k in the cambódromo.[7]
History
The city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra was founded in 1561, but carnival celebrations brought by the Spaniards date back to the 19th century.[8] Early festivities consisted of horseback parades through the streets, and people played by throwing powder and dirt at each other. Tuesday was reserved for dancing, while Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of Lent. The celebration lasted 11 days, during which the governor, through a public council (cabildo), would order the slaughter of cattle for public feasts.[9][2]
During the 1970s, the Bolivian government under Hugo Banzer attempted to suppress the celebration.[2] By the late 20th century, the carnival began incorporating more mestizo cultural elements, including traditional music, dances, and attire such as the taquirari, chovena, sarao, and the typical tipoy dress.[10]
In the early 21st century, garages replaced the traditional "waiting houses" (Spanish: casas de espera) that had existed since around 1880. These houses were used by neighbors to welcome comparsas and participate in uninhibited revelry. The new garage gatherings served a similar role but were initially exclusive to male members of specific groups.[9]
Culture
The carnivals of eastern Bolivia represent the culture of this region in their costumes, music, and dances, which is why some may notice similarities with the Brazilian carnival, as both feature elements of Amazonian and European culture, but the Brazilian carnival was brought by the Portuguese and the Santa Cruz carnival by the Spanish.[9][11] The carnival in Santa Cruz de la Sierra represents all the ecoregions of the department of Santa Cruz, especially those of the Santa Cruz Amazon and the Chiquitanía.[2]
Queens of the Santa Cruz carnival
In 1936, the first queen of the Santa Cruz carnival was chosen. However, in 1937, the first "official" queen was chosen, as the role became more important. Soledad Arrien Gutiérrez won thanks to a contest promoted by a media outlet.[11] The carnival queen for 2025 is Ariane Torrico, or Ariane I, crowned at a gala organized by the Association of Carnival Companies of Santa Cruz (ACCC) and the crowning company "Los Pengas" in the Sirionó Hall of Expocruz.[12]
Queens of the 2020s
| Year | Name of the Queen | Age | Coroners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Romy Paz Arteaga (1992-) | 28 years old | Los Chirapas Jrs.[13] |
| 2021 | Iciar Díaz Camacho (1996-) | 25 years old | Los Piltrafas[14] |
| 2022 | Dayana Molina Espinosa (1996-) | 25 years old | Los Picarazos[15] |
| 2023 | María Laura Zamora Sanjines (2000-) | 25 years old | Los Januchos Jr.[16] |
| 2024 | Aitana Tufiño Cronenbold (2001-) | 22 years old | Los Ociosos[17] |
| 2025 | Ariane Torrico Domínguez (1999-) | 25 years old | Los Pengas[12] |
Main Events and Traditions
The "Fiesta Grande de los Cruceños" is divided into two parts. One week before the official carnival, there are celebrations for youth groups, among other activities.[18]
Before Carnival:
- Pre-carnival celebrations and the festival of the god Momo.
- Garage (or parking lot) Carnival.
- The carnival mail.
- Coronation of the Carnival Queen.
- Start of the eleven nights of masquerade balls.
- The coronations of the queens
- Preliminary parades.
During Carnival:
- Coronation of King Momo: marks the official start of the Santa Cruz Carnival.
- Carnival parade (grand parade).
Street carnival: the three days of Mojazón.
- The carnivalito: burial of the doll and Ash Wednesday .
Pre-carnival celebrations
The so-called "precas" are activities that take place every weekend in January, before the Corso Cruceño. They consist of parties accompanied by parades of floats with universal themes or political satire, organized by different carnival groups dressed up according to the chosen theme, who dance along 24 de Septiembre Street to the Plazuela del Estudiante, always accompanied by the carnival queen, who has a different float and costume each night, along with the coronation entourage.[18]
The corso
A corso is a carnival parade showcasing the best of each troupe. The grand corso kicks off the official carnival and takes place on March 1.[19]In 2025, more than 300 troupes paraded in the grand corso held at the cambódromo.[20]
See also
References
- ^ "5 datos que No conocías acerca del Carnaval de Santa Cruz de la Sierra". Blog de UltraCasas.com (in Spanish). 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ a b c d "▷ Carnaval de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia ▷ MEJOR Guía". ▷ Descubre los Mejores CARNAVALES de 2024 de todo el mundo (in European Spanish). 2020-06-15. Archived from the original on 2023-10-04. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ Monahan, Helena (2025-02-24). "How Carnival in Brazil Can Help Us Understand Latin America". Sherlock Communications. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ^ Thoughts, Bolivian (2025-02-28). "Carnival in Bolivia, the festival that moves millions of bolivianos in the economy | El Carnaval en Bolivia, la fiesta que mueve millones de bolivianos en la economía". Bolivian Thoughts | Pensamientos Bolivianos (Bilingual/Bilingüe). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ "Portal of Culture: Culturas launches the Santa Cruz Carnival Heritage Award". UNESCO (in Spanish). 2019-05-20. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ jcr.E489204d (2013-02-05). "Declaran patrimonio cultural al Carnaval Cruceño". Erbol Digital Archivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-23.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Efe, Agencia. "Carnival in Bolivia's largest region celebrated amid political tensions | Video | 7001240238". EFE Servicios. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
- ^ "Cultural and social, that's what the Santa Cruz carnival is all about" (in Spanish). 3 May 2024.
- ^ a b c "El carnaval cruceño sigue en la búsqueda de su identidad". Bolivia.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ "Traditional Bolivian Music Types: Eastern Bolivia and the Amazon Tropics". BoliviaBella. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ a b "El Día Bolivia: Synonymous with culture and tradition". El Día (in Spanish). 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ a b Cuéllar, Silvana. "Ariane I fue coronada 'Reina del Carnaval Cruceño 2025' en una noche de historia y esplendor". www.reduno.com.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ Hinojosa, Alejandra (2020-02-17). "Majestuosa coronación de la reina del carnaval cruceño". eju.tv (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ Deber, El. "Iciar Díaz es oficialmente la reina del Carnaval cruceño solidario | El Deber". eldeber.com.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ Deber, El. "Dayana Molina fue coronada como la reina del Carnaval Cruceño 2022 | El Deber". eldeber.com.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ F, Charles Muñoz. "Maria Laura Zamora es la nueva Reina del Carnaval 2023". www.reduno.com.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ F, Charles Muñoz. "¡Que viva la Reina! Aitana I fue coronada como la soberana del Carnaval Cruceño 2024". www.reduno.com.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ a b "Soy Santa Cruz: Carnival in Santa Cruz" (in Spanish).
- ^ Ronald, Ragnvald. "Carnaval Cruceño 2025, te presentamos el cronograma |Festbol - Mediabol". mediabol.pro (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-07-22.
- ^ "Santa Cruz se alista para el Corso carnavalero con más de 300 comparsas - ATB Digital" (in Spanish). 2025-03-01. Retrieved 2025-07-22.