How do Dominican Carnival Masks work?
The Dominican Carnival each February is a huge celebration. It is an event in which the whole family can participate. It is a tradition that is believed to have begun years ago in the Santiago and La Vega areas of the Dominican Republic as a celebration of the countries independence from Spain. During those years, Dominicans began to develop their own identity. The traditions and celebrations they then began to enjoy established them as purely Dominican for the first time. Many of those same traditions and celebrations have carried through to today and are exhibited during carnival activities. Today, the carnival is celebrated in many parts of the country and seems to gain in popularity every year. Many of its themes today have deep rooted European and African influences. The celebrations usually entail large numbers of colorfully costumed and masked participants parading down streets. In different areas of the country, the celebrations may differ slightly as each regions community add