The Traditions of venezuela Are closely linked to the practice of the Catholic religion, both festivities and other customs.
These define, in part, the cultural tradition of a country or a population where everyone can participate in their common expression and feeling. In the same way that it happens in other South American countries as Colombia .
Each region of the country has countless traditions that have survived over time. Some of them are described below:
1- Parading of the child Jesus
The term"Paradura"refers to putting up the image of the baby Jesus in the manger. This tradition of the Venezuelan Andes consists of several parts:
In the first place, the"padrinos"of the child are designated, who are responsible for carrying the image in procession, animated with songs of parrandas or prayers in the call Walk or Serenada del Niño. When the image is returned in procession to the manger the participants kiss the child.
Once this is done, the Paradura In itself, culminating the celebration with songs, prayers, toasts and the prayer of the rosary.
A variant of tradition is to carry out Child Search , In which the theft of the image is"organized", which is taken to a neighboring house while a procession composed of children takes care of asking questions to each family. In the meantime the Lost Child's Wakes Until it is finally found and placed in its place.
2- Pastors of the child Jesus
In Venezuela it is very common to make"promises"to God in exchange for receiving some special favor. The Dance of the Shepherds of the Child Jesus is one of the customs that serve as means to"pay promises". In addition to being an activity that ratifies the identity of the regions where it takes place.
It is a tradition with greater roots in the localities of San Joaquín, Los Teques and El Limón, in the center of the country, and is composed of several phases.
The first occurs when the group of Pastors, dressed in colorful costumes, walk towards the church at the end of the crow's mass and receive the message of the Angel Gabriel (who is represented by a girl) announcing the birth of Jesus.
In response, pastors greet the Child and begin choreography with The Dance of the Shepherds or the Delivered In which they give their offerings on their knees and say verses related to their promises. In the end, Cachero (leader of the group) delivers the horns of his suit that indicate his rank.
3- Yare dancing devils
The Brotherhood of the Blessed Sacrament of the dancing devils of Yare is one of the most emblematic cultural organizations in Venezuela. It was declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2012.
Originated in San Francisco de Yare in 1749, it is a representation of the struggle between good and evil and takes place on the day of the Catholic celebration of Corpus Christi.
A group of adults, young people and children, who are fixed members of the confraternity, dressed in entirely red suits and devil masks with different numbers of clusters (which indicates the hierarchy of the one who shines), dance backwards as a symbol of penance.
The act ends with the triumph of good, represented by God in the Eucharist, on evil, represented by the devils that fall yielded.
4- Devils of Chuao
The Chuao devils, like the Yare devils and the other 9 guilds (perhaps more) that exist in the country, practice the same ritual mentioned above, but with some variants.
For example, instead of red the devils of Yare wear multicolored clothes. The masks are black with silhouettes white and red and they wear a ribbon with the colors of the Venezuelan flag between the curls.
Also, hierarchies are represented by the length of the mustache or beard of the mask. This cofradia, which has more than 300 years of history, is one of the cultural and tourist attractions of the town of Chuao, located on the central coast of the country.
5 - Callao Carnival
Recently inscribed in the list of traditions that are Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO, the Callao Carnival is one of the most far-reaching manifestations in Venezuela.
Great and colorful parades of thousands of people dressed in disguises that can vary according to the imagination takes place in the streets of the Guayanese town, where you can hear the famous calypso, typical musical genre of the region.
Some of the costumes are characters in each presentation, such as Madamas That guide the parade, the Half-pint , the Miners and the Devils.
6- The assaults
It is an original tradition of the town of Sanare, in the Lara State. It is based on the cult of the innocent saints, the children martyrs who were murdered by Herod in his attempt to get rid of the newborn Messiah, the baby Jesus.
The celebration begins with the rite called The Breaking Which consists of the prayer of the salve in front of a picture that represents the scene of the slaughter.
Then walk the streets (accompanied by music) near the church where the mass will be celebrated. At the end, a group of children from the area who have been subjected to some miracle) are given by their parents to the group to offer a dance in front of the altar.
A new tour takes place until the church of Santa Ana to start a second mass and again the dance for the children.
7- La Burriquita
La Burriquita is a well-known dance group that has spread all over the country. In it, a woman dresses in a suit whose bottom simulates to be a donkey, while it dances with the musical accompaniment.
It is one of the most popular diversions of Venezuela and is observed during the carnivals or festivals of each region.
8- Vases of the Candelaria
It is celebrated in the parish, state of Mérida between February 2 and 3 in honor of the Virgen de la Candelaria.
It begins with the blessing of the Candelaria fire during the mass, followed by the procession through the town with the Virgin to return to the church.
Before the image placed on its altar and from the door, the vassals sing songs dedicated to the Virgin and dance a choreography inspired by the work of the peasant.
The next day, the Vassals take the image to the area of their appearance called zumba, in the middle of a procession with music. Upon arriving at the place, an exclusive Mass for the Vassals takes place.
After dancing a second time, they return to the parish and in the house of the captain of the Vassals the Dance of the Stick. Finally, we start with The Burial of the Cock , A traditional game.
9- The Monkey Dance
This party takes place in the town of Caicara de Maturín, in the east of Venezuela. It is celebrated on December 28th and it is a collective dance, in which all people who want to wear different costumes participate.
These walk the village under the guidance of the Monkey and The Butler , Who are in charge to discipline the choreography by striking with a strap or a kind of machete to the dancers who leave the line.
10- Holy Week: Procession of the Nazarene of St. Paul
A large epidemic of bubonic plague that struck the city of Caracas in 1579 gave rise to this procession, which was devised as a way to ask God for the cessation of the spread of disease.
During the course of the image of the Nazarene was entangled with a lemon tree, causing several of its fruits to fall. Interpreting this as a divine sign, the assistants gave the juice to the sick, receiving the miracle of healing.
Since then, multitudinous processions accompany the Nazarene to the Basilica of St. Teresa. Many faithful pay their pledges for favors granted showing a deep popular devotion that spreads throughout the country.
Even this miracle was a source of inspiration for the Venezuelan poet Andrés Eloy Blanco, who in his work"El Limonero del Señor"expresses:
"...
In the corner of Miracielos
There was a brief oscillation;
The carriers of the wings
they stopped; Mgr
The Archbishop, raised his eyes
Towards the Cross; The Cross of God,
Passing under the lemon tree,
Between his bands he became entangled.
On the forehead of the Messiah
There was a rebound of greenery
And between his curls the gold trembled
Yellow of seasoning.
From the depths of the cortege
Broke the arrow of a voice:
-Miracle…! It is balm, Christians,
The lemon tree of the Lord...! "
11- Visit to the 7 Temples
This Catholic tradition runs from the night of Holy Thursday until the early hours of Friday. 7 churches or temples are crossed, which symbolize the 7 places in which Jesus was before being crucified, according to the Biblical Scriptures.
It is customary to make the visit in groups organized by parishes although it can also be done in a particular way. In some cities there are definite routes for the faithful to come to the temples closest to each other. It is conceived as a time dedicated to prayer and penance.
12- The burning of Judas
This custom of Easter Sunday, is mistakenly associated with Catholicism but is rather an expression of popular justice.
They usually create dolls (in any locality of the country) that represent to some personage, generally of the political scope, that is considered a"traitor", that is chosen between the neighbors according to each time and region. The doll is mocked and later burned in a public place.
13- Procession of the Divine Shepherdess
Millions of people from all regions of the country move to Lara state on January 14 to participate in the 3 to The world's largest procession, which runs 7.5 km from the Santa Rosa church to the Cathedral.
It is said that the image of the Virgin of the Divine Shepherdess was commissioned to an artist and would be destined to the church of the state capital, Barquisimeto. For his part, the image of the Immaculate Conception would be sent to the church of Santa Rosa.
However, the artist mistakenly exchanged places and when the priest of Santa Rosa realized and tried to return it, the image became very heavy and could not be lifted. This faith taken as a sign that the Virgin should remain there.
14- Christmas Masses and Posadas
Venezuela, together with the Philippines and the Canary Islands, are the only places where it is allowed (with permission from the Vatican) to celebrate 9 masses on each of the days leading up to Christmas, which symbolize the 9 months of pregnancy of the Virgin Mary.
They are usually celebrated in the early hours of the morning and in it are chanted songs inspired by the next birth of the Child God, accompanied by typical instruments of parranda like four, maracas, drum, furruco, among others.
After Mass, in some villages the tradition of carrying the images of Saint Joseph and the Virgin in procession to a neighboring house previously designated is preserved.
When they arrive, they sing verses that describe a dialogue of San Jose with the owner of house, asking lodging for"his beloved wife". When the landlord agrees, the musical ensemble encourages sharing between foreigners and visitors from various snacks.
15- Velorio de Mayo Cross
It is celebrated on May 3 in many regions of Venezuela. A cross adorned with multicolored flowers (artificial or natural) is the center of attention of this party. It combines religious acts with rituals to ask for the success of harvests during the year.
It consists of presenting prayers and songs of praise before the cross, which is placed on an altar. One of the verses that are sung is this:
"Redemption Cross of May
Before your altar my promises
To be abundant
In the fields the crops".
16- Margarite Fun
These are pantomimes or dances typical of the East Coast, inspired by fishing. They combine songs that talk about the fisherman's tasks with dances and private costumes. These include: El Carite, El Róbalo, El Sebucán and La Lancha to Nueva Esparta.
17- The Tamunangue
It originated in colonial times and belongs to the traditions of the Lara state. It is associated with the feast of San Antonio de Padua and is composed of a series of dances (7 in total) executed during the procession of San Antonio.
Accompanied by music made with percussion instruments, private pieces of the celebration are sung. It begins with the prayer of the Salve and the Battle, a famous choreography that represents a fight between two men, each with a club. It emphasizes the colorful dress and the participation of men and women.
18- Drums of San Juan
It is celebrated on June 24, the day of San Juan Bautista, in the states of the central coast of Venezuela (Aragua, Miranda, Vargas, Carabobo).
It starts from the night of the 23 with the call Wake , A party with drums and liquor. The following day the mass is celebrated in honor of the saint whose end is marked by the drumming of the drums and begins the procession for the place, while the San Juan receives gifts and thanks from the people.
The image is usually small and is carried on the stage to the rhythm of the music. At the end of the party, it is customary to"bathe"the saint in a nearby river.
19- The turas
The dance of the turas is a custom of the states of Falcon and Lara. It has indigenous origins and consists of a rite that served as the beginning and end of the sowing season, to ask for good harvests and later to thank for the favors granted.
It is characterized for being a dance in which several people embraced form a circle that resembles a snake. There are also hierarchies such as the Foreman, Butler and the Queen.
20- The San Pedro
This tradition was proclaimed Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO on December 5, 2013.
It is owned by Miranda State and the Capital District. It follows the celebration of St. John on the day of St. Peter the Apostle (June 29).
It is an offering of devotees of the saint in which are stanzas own for the party and is composed of choreography and various characters. Among the highlights The María Ignacia , A man dressed as a woman with a wrist in his arms in allusion to a legend to which St. Peter granted the miracle of saving his daughter.
The dance is performed by a group of dancers made up of adult men and children, who are called"tucuso".
References
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- Preparation of a Cruz de Mayo Candle. Recovered from: letrasllaneras.blogspot.com.
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