Carnival Monday

Carnival Monday is the first of two Carnival days expressly designated as holidays by Article 184 of Venezuela’s Organic Labour Law. It belongs to the Western Christian calendar immediately before Ash Wednesday, yet Venezuelan Carnival has developed far beyond a single religious explanation. Municipal celebrations combine inherited European pre-Lenten forms with African, Caribbean, Indigenous and locally created music, performance and costume traditions.

Celebration differs markedly by place. El Callao in Bolívar state is renowned for Afro-Antillean calypso and characters such as madamas and medio-pintos, while Carúpano, Maturín, Coro and many other cities organise their own parades, beauty events and children’s activities. Beach and family travel are also important parts of the long weekend. Presenting one city’s programme as national would therefore misrepresent a highly regional festival.

The date is calculated as forty-eight days before Western Easter Sunday. The law establishes the non-working day, but mayors, governors and cultural organisations determine routes, concert times and security arrangements. Programmes can begin well before Monday and continue through Tuesday, so visitors should use local schedules in addition to the calendar date.