Carnival Theatre

Carnival Theatre is a fascinating tradition across Latin America. I love that it is all about expressing pent up emotions. Peoples who have experienced hardships and oppression use annual festivals to fight authority through celebration. The traditional ways that people express their emotion and vent their feelings are usually very physical and sexual in nature. Clothing is, to put it mildly, kept to a minimum. Some more rural celebrations of this tradition are done completely in the nude. Here is an example of one Carnival festival in Trinidad in 2008 : You will notice that some people are dressed up with cowboy hats and fun little accessories. This is because another tradition of Carnival Theatre is role playing. During these celebrations people can shed their inhibitions and pretend to be whoever they want to be. This is derived from the old "Saturnalia" celebration that ancient Romans used to engage in during the winter solstice. Sometimes compared to our modern day Halloween, it was a time for exchanging gifts and elaborate role playing.