Parties in Cuba : Houses in Cuba : Renting private houses

Also known as the Fiestas de San Juan, the carnivals take place annually in the city of Camaguey from June 15 to 29. These celebrations began in Puerto Principe sometime between the years 1725 and 1728 and they have been held since during the month of June, for that was the time when farmers would bring their cattle into town. Horse races began that way and later in time the fiestas extended until June 24, Day of Saint John (San Juan).

New modalities were incorporated over the years: beautiful women riding horses, adorned chariots, embellished squares and promenades where the belles of town would pass by to the enjoyment of many admirers. Nowadays the festivities include parades of old, antique-like cars, chariots, floats and “congas”.

A curious ingredient of the Carnivals is the Ajiaco Camagueyano: a soup containing vegetables, potatoes, pork and other meats that gets cooked in every neighborhood. Other cultural activities such as Fairs and Rodeos showcase the typical farmer’s music, the local gastronomy and cattle exhibitions. Other cultural events are the Guateque Campesino, during which contending poets improvise verses in search of originality and fun; concerts of bolero music; sessions of traditional troubadours, and theoretical colloquia on different artistic expressions.

All along the Malecon (waterfront promenade) the floats parade, each featuring its own band, dancers, and choreographies, making it the most attended popular celebration in Havana. Usually it takes place all August weekends, but it can also be held in the month of November.



Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the day time the Carnival for Kids take place featuring concerts, recreational and sportive activities including puppet shows and clowns. At dusk the party begins for adults. This celebration includes traditional floats such as “La jardinera”, “La Giraldilla”, “Los guaracheros de Regla”, “Los marqueses de Atares” and “El Alacran”. The most popular characters are “Mpaka”, “kokorikamos”, “Kulona”, “Mojiganga” the “gangas” devils and the “carabalies”.

All along the waterfront promenade, facing the sea, the night of Havana comes alive with music, dancing and cheerful celebration. Kiosks and concession stands have an offer of Cuban local foods, beers, cocktaits and rums.

These typical fiestas from Santiago are well known for its floats, each one of them having its own band, dancers and firework presentation. The party lasts for one whole week and is usually held on July 22 to 27 every year. Famous are the parades of “congueros”, a sort of procession during which the population sings and dances on the city streets, to the rhythms of the drums, the Chinese trumpet and other percussion instruments. Musicians march at the front of each parade but once it begins musicians and population mingle to create a river of joyful “congueros”.



Before or after the “congas” on can see the parades of the “mamarrachos” and “munecones”, gigantic dolls very popular amongst kids and adults. The “munecones” are dolls dressed as literary characters such as the Big Bad Wolf, Pinocchio, and other cartoons like Elpidio Valdes. The “mamarrachos” are people disguised in multicolor outfits as fantastic creatures.

The Carnivals’ another legendary feature are the floats, divided as groups of dancers, each of them displaying distinct outfits and performing unique choreographies inspired on local and Caribbean traditions. The floats include allegoric chariots or “carrozas”, featuring unique light designs. The parade of chariots flows in the streets while people watch and enjoy from balconies and sidewalks. On Garzon Avenue, there is a stage where the judges sit and determine, once the parade is over, the winning float.

During the Carnivals there are many open spaces all over the city where bands perform son, salsa, meringue, rock, pop and disco music. With so many available choices people go from one outdoor venue to the next, creating a constant movement in the city. A generous offer of the local gastronomy and alcoholic beverages is also available at concession stands all over the city.

This Festival is sponsored by the Caribbean House and Ministry of Culture of Cuba. It is an international event that focuses on artistic, academic and community issues. It takes place annually in Santiago de Cuba during the first week of July. This is very vital and well attended event about Dance, Music, Folklore, Theater, Literature, Fine Arts, Cinema and Video. Organizers also include the Colloquium named “El Caribe que nos une”, including conferences, panels, academic workshops on Music, Poetry, Cuban and Caribbean religions, Identity, Diversity, Oral Heritage, social communication, history, economy and society.

These traditional fiestas take place in Bejucal, a small town located in the province of Havana. Once again the town divides itself in two “rival” teams, the “Espinas” (Thorns) and the “Ceiba” (ceiba tree). They compete for the awards of best decoration, chariots and fireworks. The event is the most important of its kind celebrated in the region. It takes place on December 24 and 25.

The origins go back to the XIX century when on December 24th, the slave owners granted a day off to their slaves to celebrate the Birth of Jesus. The slaves would dance to the rhythm of the African drums all around the church. In time the town divided in two teams: “La Musicanga”, integrated by Creole, mulattos, and black slaves and “Los Malayos”, integrated by Spaniards, and Creole who supported the Spanish Crown. Despite its religious origins, the fiesta always kept its secular character.

Early in the XX century, the teams changed their names: “La Musicanga” became “La Ceiba de Plata”, identified by the color blue and a scorpion, whereas “Los Malayos” became “La Espina de Oro”, adopting the red color and the rooster as its symbols.

The “charangas” of Bejucal have not only chariots but also typical personae such as “ la Macorina”, “la Mujiganga”, “la Bollera”, “la Kulona” and “el Yerbero”. They all dance at the rhythm of “conga”, the main musical theme of the celebration.

Every passing year the chariots “carrozas” become more elaborated, even monumental, some of them reaching 23 meters high. The technique behind all spectacular surprises is really creative and imaginative.

The “parrandas” are old traditional celebrations that began in the town of Remedios in 1820. Basically the entire town divides itself in two “rival” groups and they enter a competition for the best chariots, dances, decorations, fireworks and music. This fiesta is the main annual event in the region and is held on December 24 and 25. People from all over the world attend the celebrations, especially those born in this centrally located city of Villa Clara, no matter how far away in the world they might currently live.

Traditionally an imaginary line divides the city in two and the groups “face” each other as contenders representing the two main neighborhoods of San Salvador, whose symbols are the rooster and the blue color, and El Carmen, symbolized by a hawk and the brown color. Each team has its own flag.

On the evening of December 24, at 9 o’clock the bells of the Main Parrish Church toll announcing the beginning of the party. Each team boasts its creativity and skills developed all over the year in the creation of the most attractive chariots, farola sticks, fireworks. All of this takes place in beautifully decorated squares where music plays all the time. After a year of secrecy and “rivalry” each neighborhood portrays the best of their works and designs.



The party then develops as each team performs a “saludo” as they enter the neighborhood accompanied by traditional music and fireworks. The contrary team replies with its own “saludo” and the competition goes well into the night when all the chariots are shown in their full splendor.



The typical music of the “parrandas” is named “repique” after the bell tolling that calls people to mass. People use all sort of instruments including cencerros, drums, trumpets and iron gadgets to create the noisy music.

The chariots of “carrozas” are inspired on historical, literary or mythological themes. The fireworks are also outstanding.

During this traditional fiesta the streets of Holguin are crowded with people attending different cultural events. The preparations for the May Fair include staging, embellishment of plazas and tourist resorts and once the party underway you can enjoy outdoor and indoor concerts, ballet performances, plays for adults and kids, art exhibitions, book launches, special movie presentations, theory colloquia on cultural issues. Foreign delegates coming mainly from Latin America take part in this celebration.

A replica of the Ax of Holguin, the province’s symbol, is taken to the Hill of the Cross (Loma de la Cruz) to reenact a XVIII century tradition, when the Franciscan monk Antonio de Alegria erected there a huge wooden cross, and thus creating a place of pilgrimage.