Dancing at Carnival in Mexico
You’ve probably heard of Mardi Gras in the U.S. (most known in New Orleans) or Pancake Tuesday in the U.K. In Mexico, the celebration is rooted in the Catholic religion, with festivities throughout the country. In the little town where I live, the locals call it Martes de Carnaval.
Every year locals don masks and traditional costumes to dance and celebrate Carnaval with a grand parade featuring floats, dance troupes, dancing horses, and live music.
According to a local website, the sayacas are masked men often dressed as women (with exaggerated body attributes) that dance through the town streets, armed with bagful of flour to throw at people watching the parade.
I was returning from a long hike when I came across the festivity. Clouds of flour were everywhere, covering the entire town in a manmade snowfall. Believe me, the joyous spirit was infectious!
A masked man invited me to dance with him. After my recent misadventures in Mexico, I was ready to shake them off. All caught on camera!
¡Viva Carnaval!
Dr. Ivy Ge
Doctor of Pharmacy, author of The Art of Good Enough. She writes to inspire women to design their own fate. Her writings and interviews have been featured on MSNBC, Thrive Global, Working Mother magazine, Parentology, and The Times of India.
