Mexico’s Mining Industry

60 Negocios ProMéxico | The Lifestyle Negocios ProMéxico | The Lifestyle 61
A Brief History of…
the
VeracruZ
carniVal
eVery february for the laSt 88
yearS, the Veracruz carnIVal haS
taken place DurIng the nIne DayS
prIor to aSh weDneSDay, MarkIng
the begInnIng of eaSter wIth a
fIeSta of MuSIc anD color.
____
by maría josé esteva
photos courtesy of carnaval de veracruz
The Veracruz Carnival is a tradition
that dates back to 1866,
when Mexico was ruled by
Maximilian of Habsburg. The
people of Veracruz asked their emperor
for permission to hold a masked ball
but as they made their way through the
streets, they unwittingly sparked the curiosity
of bystanders, who gathered on
the sidewalks to admire their colorful
outfits. Ever since, history has repeated
itself year-in, year-out. In time, the parade
itself came to take precedence over
the costume party, and in 1925 members
of Veracruz’s upper class formed an organizing
committee. It is this date that
is taken as the official founding of the
Veracruz Carnival.
Two decades later, in 1945, the floats
were illuminated, which meant festivities
could carry on well into the night.
Occasionally, parades have been known
to start at nine o’clock at night and continue
until dawn. Avenida Independencia,
in the city’s Historic Center, is the route
the floats traditionally followed but the
songs, dancing and general merriment has
spilled over onto Boulevard Manuel Ávila
Camacho, to the extent that the carnival
has garnered international fame.
There are several customs associated
specifically with the Veracruz Carnival,
like the naming of the Carnival Queen
(who used to “parade” along the beach
with her entourage, while the rest of the
carnival-goers flooded the streets) and the
King of Merrymaking, originally known as
the Ugly King. On the first day of festivities,
the ritual calls for a symbolic “burning”
of Bad Mood, while the highlight of
the ninth and last day is the “burial” of
Juan Carnival, along with a reading of his
last will and testament, which is generally
packed with political jibes only locals
could possibly understand.
An inseparable part of the identity of
Veracruz, this is the largest carnival in
Mexico, but no matter what time of year
you happen to be in this port city, you can
always enjoy a milk coffee at El Café de
La Parroquia at Los Portales, a popular
meeting point among locals and a must
for visitors. n