Caribbean Carnivals Pt 2 : Carnaval in the Dominican Republic
by Moraima Capellán Pichardo Let’s talk Dominican carnival. But wait, make sure to catch up on PART 1 (ADD LINK), which details the roots of and how carnival is celebrated throughout the Caribbean. Growing up, carnaval dominicano, as it is known here, was a joyful time of culture and pride. During my personal sabbatical back to my birth country, I was most excited about experiencing these celebrations again. Celebrated during the month of February, the Dominican carnival has a complicated start. Just like other carnival celebrations in the Caribbean and in Latin America, the tradition originates from the Roman Catholic religion and was brought over by European colonizers. Today’s celebrations represent the mixture of European, Indigenous and African cultures to make the overall Dominican identity. Dominicans are very proud of our heritage and carnival season is the time of year where we showcase our folklore and spirit. What to expect February is an important month in the Dominican Republic. Not only is it carnival season but the month culminates with the national celebration of Independence on February 27th. The parades and parties happen in every major city every Sunday during the month of February. The city of La Vega, hosts the most iconic and oldest carnival in the Caribbean. Other cities to explore are Santiago, Bonao, Barahona, and Montecristi. Santo Domingo, the capital of the DR, hosts a military parade and carnival parade that brings together the largest comparsas (troupes) of the island. Costumes Each city has different traditions and costumes with a unique identity but a few staples remain. The general costumes are called Diablos Cojuelos or Limping Devils—the story goes that this playful devil was banished from hell by the devil himself because of his hardcore pranks. Dominican iterations of the Diablo Cojuleos involve elaborate, detailed costumes and their favorite weapon a vejiga. Vejiga or balloons are traditionally made with a dried cow’s bladder and are used to hit passerby’s and spectators. When you attend any carnival celebration you must be aware that you run the risk of being hit by the Vejigas or whips. It’s all in the thrill and fun of the festivities! After the Diablos Cojuelos, the Lechones of Santiago are iconic. Los Lechones or piglets are masked devils with the face of a pig and usually carry whips instead of balloons. The various costumes throughout the Dominican Republic take months to prepare and are the highlight of the carnaval Dominicano. Tip: You are less likely to get hit if you point your camera at them! Cabarete Carnaval The carnival celebrations in Cabarete are a recent addition and usually occur after the national festivities have finished during the first few weeks of March. The Academia de la Costa, a martial arts school and community center in Cabarete organizes the Cabarete Carnaval. Tomas “Papo” Soñé, co-founder of the Cabarete Carnaval, and lead instructor at the Academia de la Costa explained that the carnival was started as a way to bridge the growing expat community in Cabarete with the local Dominicans. As a growing carnival, the festivities in Cabarete not only bring different comparsas from the island but spectators are allowed to walk the parade with the troupes. Cabarete Carnaval might be the only the carnival celebration were the masked devils are prohibited from whipping spectators making it ideal for families and children.
Dominican New Year’s Traditions
This post was originally published on December 26, 2018 and updated on December 25, 2019. The Dominican Republic is known for its wild party spirit, but it is also a deeply religious country. For Dominicans, New Year’s or Año Nuevo is a time for preparing for the year ahead and cleansing yourself of the past year. New Year’s Clean You may have heard of a Spring Clean, but the Dominican New Year’s Clean is a much bigger deal. Dominicans who participate in this tradition will clean their houses very thoroughly, scrubbing every surface, clearing every drawer, and throwing out old, unwanted things. Traditionally, once the house looks shiny and new, you throw out the old brooms. This has to happen before midnight, or you might bring bad luck into the New Year. There is strictly no sweeping to be done on New Year’s Day. New brooms tend to be kept outside the house until the new year begins, just in case. It’s common for Dominicans to give their house a fresh coat of paint for the occasion. If you visit the DR in January, look out for the freshly painted coloured houses! Midnight – El Cañonazo! When the clock strikes midnight, the New Year is greeted with a bang! Streets and homes are filled with cheering and exuberant hugging of friends and family. Anyone who happens to be about on the street is included in the celebration, too! Fireworks might be set off, and the party begins. 12 grapes are eaten, one on every toll of the clock, and you can make as many wishes as you can manage! Before hitting the fruit bowl, make sure all the doors and windows are flung wide open. This enables the old year spirits to fly out and the new ones to come in. It’s also a Taino tradition to burn incense in a Jumera, a special tin can lantern with coal and smells to bring good luck in the New Year. Fresh Clothes Out with the old and in with the new! You’ll see Dominicans dressing to impress for the New Year’s celebrations. It’s common to buy a whole new outfit, if you can afford it, to start the year totally afresh. The colour of your new clothes is significant, so style yourself carefully. Each colour represents a different wish for the year ahead. Green is for financial prosperity, white for health, yellow for work ethic and opportunities, and red for a better future. Party Hard After a traditional meal with family and close friends at home, the Dominicans usually hit the town. This might be a beach party, or a club. Wherever the party’s at, the Dominicans are in their element. They will dance and rejoice until the sun comes up, and beyond! It’s important to start the year as you mean to go on: in a spirit of joy and celebration! New Year’s Day New Year’s Day is usually a chill affair, spent with family in rest and often prayer for the future. Some households will have a priest come to bless the house with holy water and spoken blessings. For many in this Catholic country, this is a key part of transitioning from one year into the next. Old, stale spirits must be banished fully so that new, fresh spirits can be received into the home. Cabarete If you’re more of a creature of calm than a party animal, join us at eXtreme, in partnership with The Yoga Loft, for a cleansing New Year’s retreat by the ocean. What better way to greet the New Year than by nourishing the body and mind in a tropical beach paradise? Our teachers will lead you in movement, meditation and restorative practice, so you can fill up with positive energy for the year ahead. Book fast, as this opportunity always sells out fast! Whatever your scene, you won’t be disappointed by the joyful celebrations in Cabarete over New Year’s. The beach is always the place to be, and you will be welcomed to the festivities by the warm Cabarete community of locals and expats! Don’t forget to shout ‘Feliz año nuevo’!
Mamajuana: The Wood Chip Booze
What is Mamajuana? Mamajuana is a native Dominican rum liqueur, made by steeping a mixture of tree bark and sticks in rum, red wine and honey. It is a deep red colour and tastes a bit like Port. Botanicals added include anamu (petiveria shrub), albahaca (basil), bohuco pega palo (princess vine) anis estrellado (star anise), clavo dulce (cloves), and maguey leaves (agave). Some Mamajuana recipes sweeten the flavour with strawberries, cinnamon, molasses and fruit juices. If you’ve visited the DR before, you may well have seen local guys on the beach selling big bottles of wood chips. That’s the stuff. The bottles are widely sold in DR stores, so look out for them. Mamajuana is said to possess mystical powers that act immediately on your body when you drink it. Wait, what mystical powers? Well, Mamajuana is a famous aphrodiasiac. It is also known as ‘Liquid Viagra’, ‘The Baby Maker’, and ‘El Para Palo’ (The Stick Lifter). Locals claim its power doesn’t stop there. Aside from sexual potency, Mamajuana is said to be brimming with health benefits, it: cleanses the blood and organs aids digestion promotes circulation cures the flu cures ovary and prostate disorders. Where did it come from? The mixture of roots and bark in Mamajuana is said to be an old Taino herbal remedy, at least some 500 years old. Alcohol was added to the tea after the European colonisers landed on the island in 1492. We’re not really sure how, but one theory is that sailors used it as a mixer for their brandy. What we do know is that Jesus Rodriguez introduced the first official branded version of Mamajuana in the 1950s. He would drive for miles around the region in his trusty truck to gather the ingredients. Mamajuana became so popular with the merengue tipico musicians, they wrote songs in its honour! The name ‘Mamajuana’ actually refers to the type of bottle the drink came in. The French name for the squat bottle with a short, narrow neck was ‘Dame Jeanne’ (Lady Jane). This came into Spanish as ‘Dama Juana’, and then became Mama Juana. How do you drink it? While Dominicans will sip Mamajuana neat and at room temperature, it is also commonly served as a shot or on the rocks. The premium cocktail scene is catching onto Mamajuana, so expect to see it listed on fancy cocktail menus. You can sub it in for rum in all your usual cocktails. It goes great with tropical fruit juices, or just with ginger ale and lime juice. Who drinks it? Well, mainly Dominicans. But Mamajuana is spreading quickly around the world, as it is commercialised and distributed by premium brands like Candela and Anteroz. It’s particularly popular as shots and in cocktails in Miami, New York, Spain and Peru. The most famous drinker of Mamajuana was a real-life Dominican James Bond. Porfirio Rubirosa was a playboy, polo player, diplomat, race-car driver, and secret agent. Like Bond, he was well known for his sexual prowess, which may have been down to his taste for Mamajuana. We’ll never know for sure. So, there you go. Dominican Viagra: coming soon to a liquor store near you!
Dominican Baseball Legends: 2nd Innings
Welcome back to part 2 of our look at Dominican baseball legends. (You can catch up on part 1 here.) We are diving into the Dominican Republic’s national sport: baseball. In case you hadn’t heard, it’s pretty big here. Without further ado, let’s meet our next Major League star! David Ortiz aka ‘Big Papi’ Ortiz was one of the most powerful sluggers of all time. From 2003, he was the designated hitter for the Red Sox, and teamed up with Martinez to help the Red Sox to their 2004 big win at the World Series. During his 14 seasons with the Red Sox, Ortiz was a ten-time All-Star, a three-time World Series champion, and seven-time Silver Slugger winner. Ortiz holds the Red Sox single-season record for home runs with 54, which he set during the 2006 season. He has the highest career batting average in World Series play at .455. Among designated hitters, he is the all-time leader in MLB history for home runs (485), runs batted in (1,569), and hits (2,192). Regarded as one of the best clutch hitters of all time, Ortiz had 11 walk-off home runs during the regular season and 2 during the postseason. In 2007, Ortiz founded the David Ortiz Children’s Fund to support children in the DR and New England who can’t afford life-saving heart surgery. He was so moved by the resilience of the children in a Santo Domingo hospital ward that he promised to help them. His wine label Vintage Papi, founded in 2008, has raised $150,000 for the Children’s Fund. Sammy Sosa ”Slammin’ Sammy’ was a 7-time All-Star right fielder who joined the Chicago Cubs in 1992. He was National League MVP in 1998, who won six Silver Slugger Awards. Sosa hit his 400th home run in his 1,354th game and his 5,273rd at-bat, a milestone he reached more quickly than any player in National League history. Sosa is best known for being involved in the ‘home-run record chase’ of 1998. Sosa and Mark McGwire made it their mission to beat Roger Maris’ single-season home-run record of 61, which stood from 1961. Though Sammy broke the record with 66 homers, McGwire ended the season on a triumphant 70. However, Sosa is still the only player to have hit 60 or more home runs in a single season three times in his career. He was also the fifth of just nine players in MLB history to hit 600 career home runs. Sosa is second all-time in home runs among foreign-born MLB players and is one of only three National League players since 1900 to reach 160 RBIs in a season (2001). Other big names Albert Pujols, Vladimir Guerrero and Miguel Tejada all won National League MVP Awards. Bartolo Colon won the Cy Young Award in 2005. Robinson Canó is a 8-time All-Star, 5-time Silvaer Slugger, 2-time Golden Glove winner who plays for the Seattle Mariners. He won the World Series with the Yankees in 2009. José Reyes is a 4-time All-Star infielder for the New York Mets. He is the Mets’ all-time leader in triples and stolen bases, and has the most stolen bases among all active players right now (over 500). Baseball in the DR – don’t miss it! These baseball heroes hold a special place in Dominican culture. They are representatives of Dominican achievement in the world. Many of them come from small towns and humble upbringings, having improvised equipment out of tree branches, cloth and golf balls as children. They act as symbols of hope and opportunity for thousands of fans. When you visit the DR, pay attention to the baseball scene. It is a lively and passionate game, beloved by Dominicans. If you get the chance to go along to a ‘juego de pelota’ you’ll get a real glimpse into the local culture. Even if sports isn’t your thing, you can count on the Dominicans to throw a wild after-party!
Dominican Baseball Legends
In case you didn’t know, the Dominican Republic goes mad for baseball. Called béisbol or just pelota (ball), it’s the DR’s national sport. Through the winter months (October-January), fans avidly follow their national baseball league, called LIDOM (LIga de béisbol de la Républica DOMinicana). If you want a real cultural adventure on your vacation, check out a LIDOM baseball game. See if you can keep up! Dominican baseball fans also keenly track the progress of Dominican players in the Major League. Many young players aspire to one day play for their favourite national team, and maybe even be signed by a MLB team. Their local baseball heroes prove it can be done, and offer the glinting hope of future stardom. Did you know? After the United States, the Dominican Republic is the country that contributes the largest number of players to Major League Baseball. In the 2017-18 season, MLB signed a record 612 Dominican players. Bonuses are estimated to total around $70 million (USD). Legendary. Many Dominican players have pitched and batted their way to become national heroes and have gone down as legends in the sport. Let’s take a look at some of the world-class sporting talent that has come out of the DR: Juan Marichal Marichal is Dominican baseball royalty. A right-handed pitcher for the San Francisco Giants in the 1960s, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. He was a 10-time All-Star, known for his precision with the ball and his intimidation tactics. He is said to have deliberately aimed his pitches at the batters’ helmets to give them a scare! Marichal’s delivery was spectacular: his left leg kicked almost vertical in a fearsome windup. Remarkably, his kick retained its height throughout his career, and photos show it only lowered slightly by his retirement. The elaborate windup meant you couldn’t tell what he was going to pitch until it was coming at you! His number 27 was retired by the Giants in 1975. Juan Marichal is treasured by Dominican baseball fans. The Estadio Quisqueya in Santo Domingo, home of the Tigres del Licey and the Leones del Escogido, was renamed the Estadio Quisqueya Juan Marichal in 2015, in honour of his contribution to Dominican baseball. Pedro Martinez Martinez was a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets. He played a huge part in helping the Boston Red Sox end their 86-year drought and win the World Series in 2004. He is recognised as one of the greatest pitchers in MLB history, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015. Statistically, Martinez is incredibly impressive. An 8-time All-Star, Martinez’ best years were 1997-2003. He won the Cy Young Award three times, posting a cumulative record of 118–36 (.766) with a 2.20 ERA. In 1999, he was runner-up for the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award after winning the pitching Triple Crown with a 23–4 record, 2.07 ERA and 313 strikeouts. He reached the dizzying heights of winning the Cy Young Award in both the American and National Leagues – a rare feat. He also holds the record for the lowest single-season WHIP in major league history (0.737 in 2000) and the lowest single-season Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) in the live ball era (1.39 in 1999). From 2002 to 2006, Martinez held the major league record for the highest career winning percentage by a pitcher. He retired in December 2011 with the fourth-highest percentage in history, and the highest by a right-hander since 1893. The Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery bought an oil painting of Martinez for their collection in 2011. Stay Tuned… Next time on Dominican Baseball Legends, we’ll meet David Ortiz, the pro baseball star with a heart for making a difference, and Sammy Sosa, the home-run record chaser! In the meantime, don’t miss out on the chance to attend a baseball match while you’re in the Dominican Republic. It could be the cultural experience you never knew you needed!
Baseball in the Dominican Republic
The North Coast of the Dominican Republic is a haven for watersports: surfing, kitesurfing, windsurfing, skimboarding, snorkelling, diving. We have it all in Cabarete. If you’ve seen the Dominicans out on the water, you might be surprised to hear that their national sport is actually baseball. Yes, baseball! Beisbol, or more commonly just ‘pelota’, is a beloved sport in the DR. Look out for local games taking place on patches of grass, or more official uniformed matches between Dominican amateur teams. National Identity Baseball is a central part of Dominican culture. Being scouted and signed to a Major League Baseball (MLB) team can be a ticket to a new life in the US for Dominican hopefuls. These high stakes mean that baseball holds a special place in DR culture. The country is proud to cheer on Dominican talent on a world stage. Some of the best players in the history of the Major League have been Dominican. But the game also represents the need for Dominican national identity to hold its own in the face of the dominant US culture. Many MLB Dominican players make a point of showcasing their national culture proudly. They pay tribute to their home country and don’t forget their Dominican fans. Lots of the MLB stars will come home to play winter pelota in the DR, out of gratitude to their home fans. There have been times when major players have refused to give interviews in English, though they speak it well, when in their home country. It’s important for them to retain pride in DR culture, including speaking the same language as your fans at home. Fans, in turn, are generally very appreciative of the professional athletes, as they often come from small towns like their own. It’s a point of resistance to the force of US American culture to ardently support the Dominican players, even if you don’t follow the MLB team they play for. It’s about loyalty to your country and cheering your own. For a lot of Dominicans, this comes before any preference for an MLB team. If you read the local newspapers, you’ll see the focus on celebrating the success of the Dominican player, rather than getting carried away with American team rivalries. The DR Professional Baseball League The Dominican national league is called LIDOM (La LIga Profesional de Béisbol de la Republica DOMinicana). The season starts in mid-October and runs through to mid-January. The season is split into three stages, and culminates in a head-to-head battle for the national title. To start, the six teams play a schedule of 50 games from mid-October to end-of-December. Then, the top four teams will play another 18 games each from end-of-December to end-of-January. Finally, the top two teams fight it out in an intense nine-match series that determines who will be the national champions. The proud winner of the national league will represent the DR in the Caribbean Series (Serie del Caribe), against the top teams from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and Cuba. LIDOM has six teams: Tigres del Licey: Estadio Quisqueya, Santo Domingo Leones del Escogido: Estadio Quisqueya, Santo Domingo Águilas Cibaeñas: Estadio Cibao, Santiago Toros del Este: Estadio Francisco Micheli, La Romana Gigantes del Cibao: Estadio Julián Javier, San Francisco de Macorís Estrellas Orientales: Estadio Tetelo Vargas, San Pedro de Macorís Tigres del Licey are the oldest team, founded in 1907. The Estrellas Orientales followed in 1911, and the Leones del Escogido came along in 1921. Sandino, later renamed Águilas Cibaeñas, was founded in 1937. These four oldest teams are considered the founding teams of Dominican baseball, and formed the cornerstone of the sport. Who is the best team? Well, as with all sports teams, this question is constantly debated! If we go by the figures, the Tigres del Licey have won the most national championships since LIDOM started in 1951. They are on 22, just ahead of the Águilas Cibaeñas on 21. The underdogs of the league are Gigantes del Cibao who have only won the league once ever, in the 2014-15 season. Toros del Este are second from the bottom, on two wins. Estadio Cibao is the DR’s largest stadium and seats 18,077 spectators. The DR hosted the 2008 Caribbean Series here. Get involved! Baseball games in the DR are massive cultural experiences. Even if you’re not that into sports, don’t pass on going to see a ‘juego de pelota’! You will learn a lot about Dominican culture. Plus, there’s always an after-party. Win or lose, it’s likely to be a good time. If you’re chatting to a Dominican in Cabarete, there’s a good chance they’ll follow a national baseball team. Try asking, it’s a good conversation starter!