Vejigante masks

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Vejigante masks (sp .: Máscaras de Vejigante ) are elaborate carnival masks, made in Puerto Rico , that constitute an important aspect of the island's culture.

Form and design

They look like distorted faces of people or animals, decorated with horns and bright colors, which makes the special Vejigante character. Carnival is celebrated at a different time in each Puerto Rican city. What they have in common, however, is that they always start the Lent . The various masks differ from one another depending on the location. But they are usually made of the same materials. These include coconut shells, brightly painted paper mache and pumpkins that are converted into horns. The masks serve different purposes during the carnival celebrations. In cities like Hatillo they commemorate the martyr's deathSaints . There the masks are also decorated with colorful metal strands, this is supposed to remind of the Spanish soldiers and represent a parody of them. But above all, the colorful carnival decorations should drive away evil spirits. They are worn at traditional carnival parades or carnival parties. The masks are made privately or by artists. The high workload makes the masks very valuable, so some pieces are even exhibited in museums.