One of the brightest and most traditional holidays in the Christian world, the carnival also exists in Argentina. Over the centuries, its traditions in this country changed, the customs of the local aborigines joined the Spanish elements, until what is called Latin American carnivals all over the world was born. There is no grand show in Buenos Aires. Argentina's most colorful and spectacular carnival takes place annually in the town of Gualeguaychu, three hours drive north of the country's capital.
Dance marathon
The resort town of Gualeguaychu, perhaps, would have remained provincial and quiet, if not for the spectacular action that attracts up to 300 thousand foreign tourists annually in January and February. The carnival in Buenos Aires lasts for several days, but the holiday in Gualeguaychu is noisy and raging for two whole months, which made it possible to enter it in the book of records as the longest in the world:
- The first dancers appear on the stage of the moving stages on the first Saturday in January.
- The Argentines themselves call the "Carnival of the Country" a colorful dance marathon, which culminates by the third Saturday of January.
- The holiday ends on the first weekend in March, but Argentina does not finish dancing these days. Samba schools start preparing for the next carnival almost immediately.
Each show starts at 10 pm on Saturday and continues until 3 am on Sunday morning. Amateur artists of all ages performing at the festival unite into hundreds of groups, each of which has its own unique style, repertoire and role.
In addition to the carnival, the resort town is popular with recreation centers and hotels with thermal pools. On the embankment of the river, you can walk and dine in a national restaurant, and then take a sightseeing tour on an open tourist bus or take a boat ride.
Details about the Gualeguaychu carnival, ticket prices, performance schedule can be found on a special website - www.welcomeargentina.com/carnavales/.
Metropolitan things
In the capital, the holiday is much more modest and takes only a few days on the eve of Ash Wednesday. The dance processions during the Buenos Aires Carnival start at around nine o'clock in the evening and continue until dawn. The metropolitan artists, according to observers, place more emphasis on acting, and they draw ideas for their theatrical performances from medieval Italian comedies.
