La Marimonda

La Marimonda - Where does this strange tradition come from?

The yearly carnival in Barranquilla is the second largest in the world (only second to Rio de Janeiro’s carnival). For four days before Lent, the city becomes one huge party, with parades, dancing, drumming, and costumes that mix African, Indigenous, and European traditions. In 2003, UNESCO even named it a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”

Amongst all the costumes though, one has become particularly iconic: La Marimonda! The Marimonda was created by the poorer classes of Barranquilla as a way to mock and ridicule the city's upper society and political elites in the late 19th or early 20th century. The story goes that a man from a lower-income background wanted a costume but couldn't afford a fancy one like the elites. So he got creative with what he had!

Now, the Marimonda is the most iconic costume of carnival, and the city of Barranquilla! If you visit Barranquilla at the start of the year, you'll see them everywhere. It's not the only traditional costume of Carnavales though, there are many more you can read about in this great article.