The Vejigantes

The Vejigantes

Vejigantes

Describes the origins, characteristics and celebrations of the Puerto Rican folkloric tradition of "Los Vejigantes", a character associated with the music of bomba and plena.

© Raíces Cultural Center

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A vejigante is a clown-like character who appears in festival celebrations of Puerto Rico. Traditional colors of the Vejigantes were black, red, and yellow. Today, vejigantes wear brightly colored, ornate masks (máscaras) of all colors and a costume with bat-like wings. The word vejigante comes from the words vejiga (bladder) and gigante (giant), due to the custom of blowing up and painting cow bladders. Bystanders are often tapped with the bladders during the processional. The masks are often linked to many festivals that continue today, especially in the cities of Loíza and Ponce.

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