Type Local, cultural 2016 date 3–9 February | Also called Carnaval de Ponce Celebrations Parades, parties | |
 | ||
Date Week before Ash Wednesday | ||
The Carnaval de Ponce (English: Ponce Carnival), officially Carnaval Ponceño, is an annual celebration held in Ponce, Puerto Rico. The celebration lasts one week and it ends on the day before Ash Wednesday. Thus, it is generally held in February and sometimes in March. It is one of the oldest carnivals of the Western Hemisphere, dating back to 1858. Some authorities, such as the Smithsonian Institution, believe the Ponce Carnaval can be traced to as far back as 250 years ago. The Carnaval coincides with the Mardi Gras of New Orleans, the Carnival of Venice, and Rio de Janeiro's Carnival. The estimated attendance is 100,000. Scenes of the 2011 Carnaval Ponceño were featured in the Travel Channel on 7 August 2011.
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History
There are no documents stating the official origin of the Carnaval, but there are documents mentioning the celebration back in 1858. The Carnaval de Ponce thus began in 1858 and was started as a mask dance by a Spaniard by the name of José de la Guardia. The mascarade dance continued as a tradition through the years, but it was not until the 1950s that the municipal government added the parade to the Carnaval.
In 1937, the Carnaval was officially adopted by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company. In 2012, a local news weekly called Carnaval de Ponce "Puerto Rico's National Carnival".
Costumes and masks
One of the traditions of the Carnaval is the appearance of the "vejigantes", which is a colorful costume traditionally representing the devil or, simply, evil. Vejigantes carry blown cow bladders with which they make sounds and hit people throughout the processions. The vejigante masks are made of paper mache and usually have many horns.
The Carnaval ends with the Burial of the Sardine, at which point everyone sings a song in Spanish that translates into:
Economics
The municipal government invests close to $100,000 in the Carnival and the event infuses some $500,000 into the city's economy.
List of events
The Carnaval starts on the Wednesday before Ash Wednesday, and the events are as follows.
Wednesday: Vejigantes Party
Thursday: King Momo Entrance Parade
Friday: Crowning of the Child Queen
Saturday: Crowning of the Carnival Adult Queen
Sunday: Main Parade
Monday: Carnival's Ball Dance
Tuesday: Burial of the Sardine
Carnaval queens and child queens
The following are the Carnaval queens and child queens.
Queens
According to Carnaval Ponceño 2012: Dedicado a 'Los Ponceños y Ponceñistas destacados en los Medios de Comunicacion' (Municipio Autonomo de Ponce, 2012; CEE-SA-12-3910), page <no page number; not numbered>), the carnaval queens were:
1959 - Leida Luz Llorens
1960 - Leida Luz Llorens
1961 - Leida Luz Llorens
1962 - Esther Noriega
1963 - Edna Ivette Grau
1964 - Edna Ivette Grau
1965 - Ivonne Maria Santiago
1966 - Carmencita Lespier
1967 - Milagros Agostini
1968 - Carmen Milagros Rivera
1969 - Mildred Goyco
1970 - Mayra Irizarry
1971 - Cinthia Boscio
9172 - Gisela Irizarry
9173 - Maria de los Angeles Colon
1974 - Lourdes Maria Rovira
1975 - Alma Minerva Ortiz
1976 - Lourdes Falcon
1977 - Marlene Delgado Brey
1978 - Lourdes Milagros Buzo
1979 - Johanna Bonaparte Duran
1980 - Mariposa Zayas Burgos
1981 - Elizabeth Morales
1982 - Sonja Johanna Maiz Iñesta
1983 - Angeles I. Nieves
1984 - Rayna Judith Rivera Fernandez
1985 - Patricia Rovira Vechini
1986 - Natalia Rodriguez Deynes
1987 - Sonia Farinacci Morales
1988 - Awilda Lopez Cepero
1989 - Geraldina Ann Vidal Cavas
1990 - Brenda I. Rivera
1991 - Elsie M. Velez Miranda
1992 - Elaina Rodriguez Spenser
1993 - Virmarie Figueroa Rodriguez
1994 - Maria de los Angeles Buzo
1995 - Raqueline Martinez Uriarte
1996 - Leslie Bermejo Velazquez
1997 - Eugenik Gonzalez de Leon
1998 - Yara M. Velazquez Rivera
1999 - Miheydic Rodriguez Georgi
2000 - Luzmila del Carmen Pagan Ocasio
2001 - Luzmarie Borrero Rodriguez
2002 - Karen Marie Molina
2003 - Robelyn Caraballo Ramirez
2004 - Miraida Rodriguez Muniz
2005 - Anabeliz Alindato Figueroa
2006 - Pamela Sierra Rivera
2007 - Vilmarie Reyes Flores
2008 - Christal J. Ponce Roman
2009 - Alisheanne Santiago Coll
2010 - Xiomara Ramirez Rodriguez
2011 - Solymar Feliciano Montero
2012 - Chrystal N. Gonzalez Rivera
2013 - Stephanie Echevarría Llanes
2014 - Glorymar Batista Rivera
Child queens
According to Carnaval Ponceño 2012: Dedicado a 'Los Ponceños y Ponceñistas destacados en los Medios de Comunicacion' (Municipio Autonomo de Ponce, 2012; CEE-SA-12-3910), page <no page number; not numbered>), the carnaval child queens were:
1973 - Maribel Primera
1974 - Shelly de la Concha
1975 - Ainee Rodriguez Gonzalez
1976 - Lynette Rosado Colon
1977 - Janice Vanessa Torres Torres
1978 - Marilyne Capote
1979 - Elizabeth Lopez
1980 - Monica Yadira Rosado Plascencia
1981 - Jeanette Santiago
1982 - Emma Raquel Gordian Vega
1983 - Bethzaida Rodriguez Velez
1984 - Michelle Lopez Asencio
1985 - Jessica Linette Castro Vidal
1986 - Solange Isabel de Lahongrais Taylor
1987 - Lucila I. Chardon Penna
1988 - Jeniffer Denice Luna Doiu
1989 - Fremiotte J. Rugual Garcia
1990 - Maria Mercedes Armstrong
1991 - Diriee Y. Rodriguez
1992 - Melissa A. Lajara Silva
1993 - Luz M. Borrero Rodriguez
1994 - Jonaida A. Oliveras Pabon
1995 - Zuleika M. Roque Vargas
1996 - Carla Michelle
1997 - Lillie M. Rodriguez Clavell
1998 - Francheska Rodriguez Sopeña
1999 - Karely M. Velez Carlo
2000 - Glorimar Batista Rivera
2001 - Stephania M. Rivera San Antonio
2002 - Christal J. Ponce Roman
2003 - Jennifer M. Rivera San Antonio
2004 - Layla N. Velazquez Rivera
2005 - Christal M. Velz Carlo
2006 - Aida I. Garcia Munoz
2007 - Joymar Ramirez Villadares
2008 - Marisabel Montalvo Ruiz
2009 - Betimar Alcala Cintron
2010 - Naomi Mercado Corder
2011 - Gabriela Bonilla Duque
2012 - Sullymar Rangel Maldonado
2013 - Dayivette Díaz Rosado
2014 - Joanne M. Ruberté Rivera