History of Mazatlan's Carnival Festivities

This February 16 to 21, 2012, Mazatlan will celebrate it's 114th edition of what is sure to be the best carnival to date.

The modern conception of "Carnaval" is historically traced to the public street celebrations of over a century ago, which in turn were based on the purifying seasonal rituals dating to antiquity. These early celebrations featured participants adorned in colored eggshells and scented flour and ashes, which reflected a transition from the humoristic mood to that of the grotesque. The Carnival's spirit marked a brief moment when the rules were relaxed and transgressions were forgiven. Towards the end of the Nineteenth Century, the festival took a sociopolitical turn. The most popular form of Carnaval was organized by the military and celebrated in May of each year, to commemorate the victory of Mexican General Ignacio Zaragoza over the French army in Puebla.