{"id":240143,"date":"2026-01-09T01:55:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T23:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/?p=240143"},"modified":"2026-01-07T17:55:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T15:55:23","slug":"the-carnaval-de-negros-y-blancos-of-pasto-starting-the-year-in-colombia-through-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visit-latin-america.com\/en\/the-carnaval-de-negros-y-blancos-of-pasto-starting-the-year-in-colombia-through-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"The Carnaval de Negros y Blancos of Pasto: starting the year in Colombia through celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

On the high plateaus of south-western Colombia, San Juan de Pasto<\/strong> enters each new year in a singular state. For a few days, the city changes its rhythm, its appearance and almost its language. The Carnaval de Negros y Blancos<\/a><\/strong> is not simply an event listed on the calendar: it is a deeply rooted tradition, a moment when urban space becomes a field of collective, artistic and social expression, marking the arrival of the new year with rare intensity. <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

A tradition shaped over time<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The carnival draws its origins from the agricultural rituals of the Pastos <\/em>and Quillacingas <\/em>peoples, who used masks, dances and celebrations to give thanks to the land after the harvests. With colonisation, these practices blended with Christian festivities and gradually took shape around the dates of Epiphany, between 2 and 6 January<\/strong>. At the end of the 19th century, the Juego de Negritos<\/em> emerged, linked to the day of rest granted to enslaved people. In 1912, the Juego de Blancos<\/em> complemented this dynamic, before students from Pasto <\/strong>introduced, from 1926 onwards, large urban parades and masquerades. <\/p>\n\n

Over the decades, the carnival strengthened its artistic identity through the creation of monumental floats, crafted from clay and papier-m\u00e2ch\u00e9. These mobile works, both technical and narrative, became one of the defining symbols of the celebration. This singular trajectory, nourished by indigenous, colonial and contemporary layers, was recognised in 2009 with the inscription of the carnival on UNESCO\u2019s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n

The unfolding of the festivities, from ritual to collective play<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Although the heart of the carnival takes place in January, the festive atmosphere begins as early as 28 December with the Carnaval del Agua<\/em>. On the 31st, the Desfile de A\u00f1os Viejos<\/em> symbolically marks the transition into the new year. 2 January signals the official opening with a tribute to the Virgen de Las Mercedes<\/strong>, followed by key moments such as the Familia Casta\u00f1eda parade and the choreographic collectives. <\/p>\n\n

The two central days give the carnival its full expression. D\u00eda de los Negros<\/em> brings together residents and visitors around black face paint, a symbolic gesture of equality and sharing. The following day, D\u00eda de los Blancos<\/em> closes the festivities under a shower of white talc covering streets and squares. Water, foam and paint then become an integral part of the urban game. It is best to be prepared: protecting electronic devices, wearing suitable clothing and planning movements in advance are all part of the experience. <\/p>\n\n

<\/div>\n\n
\n