History of the Vejigante Mask
The origins of the tradition go back to 12th century medieval Spain. The vejigante represented the evil Moors who were defeated by St. James. People dressed as demons (vejigantes) in a procession thrown to honor St. James.
In the 17th century the vejigantes began to more generally represent good v. evil. In Puerto Rico, the Taino culture is also a part of the festival, and the vejigantes are heavily influenced by music, more specifically bomba and plena.
Watch the parade of the GHCDS 4th Graders below, wearing their Vejigante masks. They worked so hard and it shows!
this is so interesting as I have been researching the origin of halloween and mask wearing. All the kids look so neat.
ReplyDeleteWell Done !