Bolivians love fiestas

how we live — By Bob Riel on July 26, 2007 at 12:12 pm

There is a short but entertaining article in the Christian Science Monitor about how fiestas are ingrained into the Bolivian way of life.

Our cab turned a corner in Bolivia’s capital, La Paz, on a rather drab, wet, Sunday afternoon, onto a spectacle of twirling skirts and top hats, as women danced down the street.

What fortune, we thought. Of all the streets, and all the hours in the day, we happened to bump into a cultural event.

Then the next day, in another cab, we turned another corner. Again, a burst of yellow shawls and skirts; costumed dancers; and cars decorated in orange, red, and hot pink tapestries.

It was then that we learned that Bolivians embrace their local fiestas in much the same way Americans enjoy their summertime barbecues.

There are any number of street fiestas in Bolivia, which include musicians, masked participants, and dancers strutting the Morenada or the Diablada.

Many of the country’s grandest fiestas align with major celebrations within the Roman Catholic Church, but in towns across the country, residents celebrate indigenous gods and beliefs, too.