Folklore in Nicaragua: The Culture of Nicaragua

Hello readers! And welcome to a new blog made by Mansión De Chocolate. We have spoken about traveling through Nicaragua, food in Granada and art in Granada. But what is culture of Nicaragua?

Nicaragua is a very big country in Latin America. Nicaragua’s deep love for preserving its own cultural identity has brightly passed its unique traditions and customs to current generations.

Language

Spanish, or Nicañol as Nicaraguan Spanish is sometimes referred to, is spoken by 90% of the country's population. In the Caribbean coast many afro-Nicaraguans and creoles speak English and creole English as their first language. Also in the Caribbean coast, many Indigenous people speak their native languages, such as the Miskito, Sumo, Rama and Garifuna language.

Folklore

The International Festival of Poetry performed in the colonial city of Granada, Nicaragua each year in February, has as a main ingredient, the vibrant folklore, represented through authentic folk music and original dances. When traveling Nicaragua one can also witness the colorful comedy-ballet play of “El Gueguense”, a street play created by the Nicaraguan “Mestizos” in the middle of the XVII century. "El Gueguense" has been declared by UNESCO as “Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity”. Another interesting folkloric manifestation is the “leaf-cutter ant dance” performed each year in Altagracia, Ometepe Island. But the folklore is not merely restricted to the Pacific of Nicaragua; it goes beyond borders into the Caribbean. Bluefields, Pearl Lagoons, the Corn Islands and other important Nicaraguan Caribbean destinations also have their own unique identity, where the colorful and traditional “May Pole” festival mixes history, customs, culinary heritage, and especially lively dances and cheers.

El Gueguense

Masaya the big folklore city

Masaya is known as “The Cradle of Nicaraguan Folklore”. Everyone I have spoken in Nicaragua talks about Masaya being the center of Folklore and this is why.

Agüizotes which is held in Masaya, is Masaya’s biggest, scariest festival that happens on the last Friday of the month. What is it? It is a parade that continues to late in the night and morning, with a lot of scary masked, and other dressed up types of people dancing through the street and spreading fire. They try to scare everyone. 

A devil Playing with fire

The name Agüizotes comes from the harbinger of death in local lore, the guis bird. It is a small yellow and white finch with giant horns. The cheep of the guis is a sure sign death is imminent to someone, somewhere in the world.

Be aware of the dead

 The festival takes place on the last Friday of October. It starts at sundown, when people dress like ghosts and using masks, dance through the street, accompanied by music and fireworks.

Every year, dozens of tourists, both Nicaraguans and foreigners, arrive in Masaya to attend the festival, which also attracts a lot of travellers, amazed by the hundreds of candles that are lit by participants.

Los Agüizotes are a series of characters such as men without heads, witches, devils and ghosts, that are part of the Nicaraguan folklore and tradition.

Different masks of different characters