Salcedo

Nestled in fertile mountains and surrounded by breathtaking landscapes, the community of Cibao spends a good part of the year preparing the conditions to put on one of the most extravagant carnivals in the country. The originality of their masks make all the difference. The startling expressions of the Macaraos, huge masked devils, lead the festivities.

STheir costumes are as spectacular as their masks. Some are made with shredded paper, newspapers or crepe paper with gourd masks; they carry vejigas, inflated cow bladder weapons or whips. On the last day of the celebrations, people go into a frenzy and pull each other’s paper clothes off and tear them to shreds. The idea is to totally get rid of the used costumes in order to make new and better ones for the next year.