When is the Barranquilla Carnival celebrated?
Usually, the Carnival of Barranquilla is celebrated between February and March of each year, taking place on the Saturday immediately preceding Ash Wednesday. Each edition has a different starting date, although the 4 days of celebration are always respected, which are usually decreed as civic days by the mayor's office of Barranquilla.
What is the Barranquilla Carnival?
The Barranquilla Carnival, celebrated in the city of Barranquilla, as its name suggests, is a festivity recognized worldwide for its cultural splendor and the fun it offers. Fusing African, indigenous and European traditions, this colorful and lively event features dazzling parades with comparsas and floats, where cumbia, vallenato and champeta are not missing. Thousands of visitors arrive every year to enjoy this national emblem.
Which bus companies have discounts for the Carnival of Barranquilla?
With redBus, you can find many nationally known companies to make your trip in the safest and most economical way. Some of them are the following:
- Expreso Brasilia
- Coomotor
- Western Fleet
- Rápido Ochoa
- Copetran
- Cootranshuila
History of the Barranquilla Carnival
The Barranquilla Carnival originated more than 300 years ago, when the Spanish and Portuguese inhabited the Americas. The parties held in Europe spread quickly in the small town that was Barranquilla back then, creating the massive celebration we know today. However, there are some theories that say this cheerful, naive and festive behavior was already part of the people in Barranquilla because of the presence of African culture in the area.
The celebration that slaves made in Cartagena de Indias is a huge influence for the Carnival of Barranquilla, especially the traditional novena de la Candelaria, where they walked the streets with instruments and colourful costumes, performing a series of dances and songs that were quickly learned in nearby towns.
The Barranquilla Carnival is considered by UNESCO as Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, thanks to the cultural value it has. Year after year, tourists from all over the world travel in the last days of February to Barranquilla to spend fabulous 4 days enjoying parades, concerts, dances and many other traditions. The Barranquilla Carnival is something really valuable for the people living in the city.
Important character in Barranquilla’s Carnival
In addition to all these celebrations, Barranquilla’s Carnival has its own characters, which contribute to the party and the tradition in Barranquilla.
Marimonda
This character clearly defines a joker who likes to make fun of people from a high society. It consists of a mask with huge ears and a phallic nose, similar to an elephant’s trunk, as well as a loud whistle to ridicule the aristocracy in Barranquilla.
Joselito Carnaval
This character represents the entire Barranquilla Carnival. He is a cheerful, partying and very funny person. He enjoys the Carnival as nobody else does it, until it dies on the fourth day, when the party ends. The funeral of Joselito Carnaval is cried by cheerful widows being the last event of the Carnival of Barranquilla.
Maria Moñitos
The sensual and flirtatious Maria Moñitos is a costume for men to wear dresses, heels, makeup and of course, bows on their heads. This is a very funny character and one of the most prominent of the Barranquilla Carnival.
Rey Momo
This character is the host of Barranquilla’s Carnival, receiving the keys of the city and being in charge of the celebrations during 4 days. He is an old, tall and fat man, who emulates the kings of Ancient Greece.
Food in the Carnival of Barranquilla
The Barranquilla Carnival is not the same without the attractive Caribbean cuisine. Here are some options to keep in mind to live the carnival days in the best way.
Clown Rice
Clown rice is a recipe with vegetables, smooth meat and cooked egg, served on a bijao leaf accompanied with salad and a cassava bun.
Patillazo
Patillazo is a perfect refreshing drink for the hot days in the Barranquilla Carnival. It is prepared with water, watermelon, lemon, sugar and ice.
Arepa Trifasica
The arepa is a fried corn-based dough, stuffed with chicken, meat and fish, being an ideal meal for breakfast or lunch.
Cabrito Fish
Cabrito Fish is a bocachico stuffed with tomatoes, chili, onion, salt, pepper, oil and vinegar, roasted in charcoal.
Enyucado Costeño
Enyucado Costeño is a dessert made of cheese, cassava, sugar, grated coconut and coconut milk. It can be consumed after lunch or as a snack.
Dances of the Barranquilla Carnival
Garabato’s Dance
This is one of the most representative dances on the Atlantic coast, but that certainly takes on great importance within the Carnival of Barranquilla. It consists of a representation of a battle between life and death, in which an individual dressed as a skeleton carries a garabato, a wooden stick with a hook at one end from which a red, yellow and green ribbons hang, being these the colors of the Barranquilla’s flag.
The Garabato’s Dance consists of a couple enjoying a party while they are interrupted by death, who tries to ruin their fun by separating them with the garabato and tries to take them with it. The man defends his lady and faces the grim with a white cane. Both simulate a fight for a couple of minutes until the guy finally wins. Death is defeated and subsequently joins the festivities and dances with the rest of the people.
The dresses for the Gabato’s Dance are a long black skirt and a shirt with the colors of Barranquilla’s flag and a flower ornament in the hair for women. Men wear black knee-high bomber pants, a yellow shirt and a white and red painted face, in addition to the mentioned cane. Death wears a black robe that covers its entire body with a stamp of a human skeleton and, of course, the garabato on one hand, which is the main element of this party. The face of Death is made up like a skull.
How to travel to the Barranquilla Carnival?
We recommend traveling by bus to get to Barranquilla, where the carnival itself will be held. The best way to buy bus tickets is through redBus, to compare prices and find the one that best fits your budget, seeing the services offered by each of them. Buying on redBus is very simple, just enter your place of origin, destination, departure date and that's it!
