CARNAVAL CHAPACO DE TARIJA

It is one of the most exciting carnivals in the country, which in fact begins a month before: dancing, singing, playing music, in a great panache of flowers, fruits and other gifts. Two weeks before the opening day, the candidates for the title of Carnival Queen are selected. She must be a credit to her region, able to sing traditional songs and master the regional dances. On the eve of the opening of the carnival, a jovial crowd strolls through the streets, carrying large cakes filled with seasonal fruits, sweets, flowers, cheeses, all in a large basket flanked by balloons and streamers: this is the festival of the Comadres y Compadres ("godmothers and godfathers"). Whoever receives the gift becomes the godmother or godfather and commits to accompany their new spiritual parent, for better or for worse. Then the women dance in the streets. For the "Moons of Barras", the locals meet in the main square of the city to spray each other with water balloons! Make sure you have a change of clothes! Then comes the "Martes de Albahaca" (Basil Tuesday), basil being supposed to help cure the headaches caused by the heavy consumption of alcohol the day before... Then comes the last day of the carnival with a big parade of regional dances which ends with the symbolic burial of the devil. Tarija definitely deserves its nickname of "city of smiles"!