AHOY! CARNIVAL TIME!
There is so much tension around the globe that it’s extremely difficult to enjoy the day-to-day activities. But in Spain, the people are a bit laid back by the countryside and really don’t bother much about what’s happening around the world. They celebrate and dance and enjoy themselves and party in what is called a fiesta. Basically, in these parts, the neighbors get together and assemble for social interaction and entertainment. They sing and dance together and enjoy the festivities.
When you see these occasions, you feel there is happiness around marked with gaiety and color. Generally, it has been seen that the local fiestas consist of dinners in the main street and there is a band to which people dance until the morning.. The big fiestas always have a theme and they are nothing short of a carnival. Around the world, especially in the Philippines, which can be the called the land of festivals they have a fiesta everyday.
Every town and village has its annual fiesta, ostensibly to celebrate such events as the ‘birthday’ of their patron saint, the annual harvest of the main local agricultural crop, some historical or mythological event, or a combination of any of these. What is certain is that they represent the annual excuse for local people to forget all their daily troubles and really have a good time. Processions, church services, competitions, dancing and drinking & wild parties are all essential parts of every festival, and it is carried out with maximum gusto.
Fiestas are not only celebrated in Mexico and Spain but also in Latin American countries such as North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. The countries include Mexico, Argentina, Guatemala, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Colombia, and many others too. In Latin America, and the Caribbean countries people celebrate different types of fiestas.
The characteristics of these are costumed street dancers, parades, lively musical performances, fireworks, and games and usually its done in honor of a religious person or a patron saint. In Peru, South America, a fiesta is the moment when the troupes of musicians and dancers take the scene, performing and dancing throughout the city. The dancers, blow panpipes and they are clad in spectacular costumes and outlandish masks; make their offerings to the earth goddess Pachamama.
In most of the coastal and mountainous areas bullfights are organized and very often the bulls are let loose on the crowd causing a stampede and killing lots of people. Finally the bull is caught and mutilated by the people there. This is indeed a gory and sad sight! In places like Jima, Ecuador, fiestas mean traditional dances and cultural music and soccer tournaments through the day.
In addition, traditional food and drinks are sold throughout the fiesta. In the evening, these fiestas include firework displays; the lighting of miniature hot air balloons and dances with vacas locas (papier mache cows loaded with fireworks).This fair is week long and is essentially an agricultural fair. They have beaches and outdoor games and music is played throughout the day.
The typical Mexican food is served in these fiestas which is a buffet of dozen’s of Mexican dishes. Guacamole, refried beans, tacos, tortillas, tosadas, hundreds of various types of salads, chicken and seafood stews, beef barbecues made sizzling hot by chilli peppers, and large tables of pastries and fresh fruits are some of the gourmet delights of the festivities. The singers sing romantic songs and the richly costumed folk dancers dance to their tunes, there are cowboy entertainers and Indian warriors going through their paces make you forget everything. It’s a whole new feeling! Most impressive are the Aztec dancers with their feathered headdresses dipping with each leap while rattlers in their hands keep time to the music.
The whole show is a blend of ceremony, dancing, laughing and shouting – a vivid melody of colors lights and sounds. It’s a visual treat to the eyes. The evenings usually end with fireworks display, the likes of which are rarely seen in this world. Truly, these fiestas are epitomes of diversified cultural exchanges and bonding. It is indeed a blend of rituals and pageantry where each and every member of the town or the village takes part in the merry making.
As years pass by, bull fighting, dancing, drinking, fireworks, gambling and horse racing, were added to the Aztec religious celebration which was usually considered a somber festival. The show is characterized by pomp, and is a mixture of color , beauty and emotions with all the men and women wearing attractive and shimmering clothes and swirling them around makes it a delight to watch them which is a colorful spectacle.
All in all it’s a blend of Mexico’s life and their history, which is displayed, in this grand spectacle. Coming to North America and to USA, in the city of Oshawa, Ontario, it kicks of its annual festival called the annual waterfront festival, which is basically a showcase of its richness of its culture and tradition. It’s a week long festival where people enjoy each other’s hospitality; there is excellent international cuisine, entertainment, public dancing, boutiques, cultural displays and good cheer. This fiesta week is generally held during the third full week of June.
This is done with the efforts of thousands and thousands of volunteers who spread the excitement and greatness of various cultures. Here it takes the size of any national event and seeing the amount of participation, it is anyone’s guess so as to why these events are fast catching up on the list of national events in USA. In places like San Antonia, there are chimpanzees also who take part in the fiestas.. Have you heard of this before? In Colorado, Texas the fiestas are called state fairs. There are rides, exhibits and rodeo actions, which is extremely thrilling and dangerous too. This is supposed to be one of the country’s largest fairs.
North America has to offer the very best of fiestas and celebrations. There is great thrill in the famous Calgary stampede, which is a new concept to the joyous activities. Even in San Francisco, the people love to party and these fiestas consist of ethnic-heritage festivals, holiday celebrations, street fairs, music festivals and more.
They do it in a big way with style and grandeur and there is practically one every month. They are in the form of carnivals with street processions, colorful clothes, music and merry making. The children enjoy the carnival in their own way. They put up clown tents, have clown balloons, which they inflate and put up carousel horse balloons to enjoy the party. The balloons are made typically to give a feel of the fiesta and consist of piata, sombrero, the Mexican flag which all mark the gaiety of the carnival.
So anyone can guess why fiestas in the USA are being termed as “national fiesta”!!! What has been observed is that in Mexico and Spain, the fiestas are generally simple as it involves the villagers and the town people, in South America; it is celebrated on a grand scale but essentially to celebrate their agricultural fair or in honor of a patron saint, which is their tradition.
In North America,, it is even far more grander and done on a bigger scale with newer additions such as the bull fights and clowns with their tents. So, in different places, fiestas are celebrated in different ways . In places like California it is often assumed as a national event and a place of entertainment. It is an avenue for corporate events like fashion shows, displays and meeting ground for business men and exploring new areas of businesses.
The term takes a different connotation in big cities but still the joy and fervor, which marks the celebration, do exist. Traditions here in modern cities take a backseat where the purpose of having a fiesta is entirely different. But the essence of fiestas will always remain. The weeklong festivities, the mammoth crowds, the food, fireworks, the flowing clothes, music and dance all grow bigger and better as years go by. It is a huge carnival where people love to enjoy, party, forgetting all their sorrows and join the huge processions, which pass through the streets becoming an event of national importance.
Slowly and slowly it is getting commercial /corporate where sponsors rake in the money and that is why it is getting bigger and better year-by-year. One has to be there to enjoy and feel the carnival, and then only can you realize what a gigantic event it can be. So guys, why don’t you start one in your own locality. !!! People may enjoy the concept and who does not enjoy holidays and festivities. In a way, one forgets their sorrows and sadness and is transformed to a different world altogether. What we do to help in such occasions.
As you have read already this is a huge checklist of items and a never ending to do list. Everything from shows, parades, rides, and party arrangements requires a lot of planning. We may call it event planning because its planning for a huge event and a lot of things need to be amalgamated to make the show a success. A hell lot of planning is required to organize such a mammoth event. The mood of the people who are participating or even onlookers for that matter of fact, are in no mood to do work such as planning or even party management. That’s where party rentals and event planners come in.
Event planners are professionals who take everything into account while planning an event. Be it outdoor events, corporate events, barbeques or carnivals event planners do it perfectly. Their foolproof planning and eye for detail thinking and attitude makes then the most sought after people during these times.
In countries like USA where people hardly get time from their busy schedule, event managers are real handy. In events such as these where everyone is in a gala mood, event planners take away the anxiety of planning the event from the people at very affordable rates. To add to it event planners arrange for all the stuff that is required in a party. Party rental companies are the companies which hand out the setup of a party like tents , rides, and all the accessories needed to make an event successful .
Event planners and party rental companies work in close co-ordination to each other to make the event a grand success. Services such as these are always a good thing when you don’t want to miss the most happening party in the country. There is also another thing due to which people prefer hiring event planners or party planners. The reason being the co -ordination factor In events such as fiestas and carnivals where a lot of corporate events are hosted under one banner it is quite difficult to forge out perfect co-ordination especially if you are not a professional or an expert in doing so.
So people think it better to hire a company which provides such services and take care of the hassles so involved while the people can enjoy the festivities fully . That’s what we are here for .We plan large events such as the corporate events, outdoor events and small homely parties with grace and efficiency. So just cool off your heels and leave the hassles of planning all things to us .
