The tradition of the Mascaras

The traditional celebration of the Mascaras, or the Festival de los Santos Inocentes is commemorated in the western part of the island around the 28 of December. Groups of males don the traditional garb and dance in groups for the entertainment of the people and the commemoration of the slaughter of the children by Herod in Bethlehem after the birth of Christ. Although it is an activity with religious overtones the reality is that it actually looks like a cross between a fashion show gone horribly wrong, hoary old traditions and Halloween. Every participant strives to have the most lurid combination of the brightest clashing colors. Although you would think that children would be scared out of their wits by the masks (as example by the evil clown in the photo) the reverse is the truth, you can glimpse the leg of a young child dancing for all he is worth in the thick of the group if you look at the lower left corner of the photo. Some of the groups have produced wildly creative interpretations of the traditional garb. Because it is in essence a religious activity any sort of sexual innuendo is strictly taboo. At times some groups have completely eschewed the traditional garb and done some controversial statements. A few years ago a group dressed as iraqui soldiers complete with a look-alike Saddam. This really provoked some particularly fervent tongue wagging!