This document provides information on popular parties and religious festivals in Venezuela, listing numerous festivals celebrated throughout the year in various locations across the country. The festivals honor religious figures and traditions and incorporate elements of popular culture like music, dance, costumes, food and drinks. Many celebrate important dates in the Catholic calendar or commemorate historical events and figures important to Venezuela's history and culture.

1. POPULAR PARTIES
AND RELIGIOUS OF VENEZUELA
It should be noted that in Venezuela and thanks to the diversity of religions
and races present, there is a great amount of tourist, religious and popular
manifestations, changing the same manifestation depending on where it
takes place.
January
Date: January 1
Festivity: Paradura del Niño
Location: all the state Merida
Description: Family party around the image of the Child Jesus. Special foods
and drinks. Christmas carols and bonuses delight the atmosphere.
Date: January 14
Festivity: Procession of the Divine Shepherdess
Place: State Lara
Description: Every 14th of January the Divina Pastora is transferred to
Barquisimeto from her church of Santa Rosa in a massive and fervent
procession.
Date: January
Festivity: San Sebastian International Fair

2. Place: San Cristóbal (Táchira)
Description: Bullfights with the best posters in the world. Agricultural and
industrial exhibition. Crafts. International cycling Various shows. Dances in
booths and temples. Peasant music festival. Parades Local foods and drinks.
February
Date: February 20
Festivity: Federation Day
Place: Pueblo Nuevo, Paraguaná and Coro (Falcón)
Date: First fortnight
Festivity: Los Vasallos or Danceros de la candelaria
Place: La Parroquia (Mérida)
Description: With great solemnity these dances are celebrated to pay
homage to Our Lady of the Candlemas, the devotees of the virgin show off
colorful costumes: pants "bloomers" of different colors, jackets with
beautiful embroideries, thick cloth belts, ornate lace layers with sequins or
shiny paper. In the head they wear wide hats richly decorated. The dance of
the candelaria is constituted by 10 parts: Parade, Dance, Coplas, Weaving,
Encierro del Chivo, Roza, Burning, Sowing, Aporco and Final parade.
Date: February 2
Festivity: Day of the Virgin of Candelaria
Place: Cumarebo, Municipality Zamora (Falcón)

3. Description: Celebration in honor of the patron of this town, with lively
popular, cultural, sports and religious programs.
Date: February 2
Festivity: Day of the Virgin of Candelaria
Place: La Parroquia (Mérida)
Description: Celebration in honor of the Virgen de la Candelaria, religious
festivities.
Date: During the celebration of Carnival
Festivity: EL Calipso
Place: El Callao (Bolívar)
Description: During the celebration of the carnival, a series of showy troupes
are organized, which, with the accompaniment of cylindrical drums, perform
and dance this particular musical genre, known as Calipso, which has a
notable Antillean influence.
Date: Carnival Tuesday
Festivity: Dance of the Hammock
Place: Rancho Chico, Puerto Cabello, Patanemo (Carabobo)
Description: In Puerto Cabello it is celebrated in the Barrio de San Millán.
This dance is of curazoleño origin and consists in the dramatization of the
outburst of jealousy that a black man suffers in a funeral, when he discovers
the infidelity of his wife precisely with the dead man.
Date: Carnival

4. Festivity: Feria del Sol
Location: Mérida (Mérida)
Description: Bullfights. Exhibitions Various shows. Popular dances.
Coleados bulls. Crafts. Local foods and drinks.
Date: During the month
Festivity: Carnival
Place: the whole country
Description: Parades. Comparsas Templetes. Costume contests. Popular
dances. In some cities these dates acquire greater notoriety
March
Date: March - April
Festivity: The Nazareno de San Pablo
Place: Caracas
Description: Religious festival in honor of the image of the Nazarene that is
venerated in the Basilica of Santa Teresa. This tradition dates from the time
of the Colony and is celebrated on holy Wednesdays. The promissory payers
wear purple, similar to the Nazarene.
Date: March - April
Festivity: International Theater Festival
Place: Caracas

5. Description: Every two years, Caracas becomes the theater capital of the
world. Companies from Europe, North America and Latin America are
presented. Various scenarios (theaters, squares, boulevards, etc.), serve as a
framework for this festival. It always falls in even years.
Date: March 4 to 14
Festivity: Calabozo Fair.
Place: Calabozo (Guárico)
Description: Agroindustrial exhibition. Bullfights Various shows.
Date: March 16 to 25
Festivity: Fair of San José.
Place: Maracay (Aragua)
Description: It is celebrated within the framework of the week of Natalicio de
Francisco Lazo Martí. Agricultural and craft exhibitions. Bullfights Coleados
bulls. Concerts of Creole music. Various cultural events
April
Date: April 2
Festivity: San Francisco de Padua
Place: San Francisco de Yare (Miranda)
Date: April 4-8
Festivity: Holy Week
Place: All the National Territory

6. Date: April 4-8
Festivity: Living Passion in Santo Domingo and La Parroquia.
Location: State Merida
May
Date: May 1st
Festivity: Festivities of San Felipe
Place: San Felipe (Yaracuy)
Date: May 22
Festivity: Day of the Virgin of Santa Rita
Place: SANTA RITA DE MANAPIRE, GUARICO STATE
Description: Celebration in honor of the patron of this town, with lively
popular, cultural, sports and religious programs. Parties are held in the best
llanero style, with the festive and cordial atmosphere of the Guariqueños.
Date: The whole month of May
Festivity: Velorio de la Cruz de Mayo
Place: Across the country
Description: Summer solstice party that takes place especially in the east,
center and west of the country. It consists in the veneration of the Holy
Cross; They decorate it with flowers and garlands, pray and sing coplas. This
manifestation suffers variations in terms of music and other elements,
according to the region.

7. Date: the whole month of May
Festivity: Dancing devils
Place: San Francisco de Yare (Miranda), Patanemo (Carabobo), Chuao
(Aragua), Naiguatá (Vargas).
Description: Folk festival that takes place on Thursdays of Corpus Christi. It
consists of the payment of promises by the faithful to the body of Jesus
Christ, carrying out a procession and dance around the town square, in front
of the church, dressed in devils. They have certain differences in terms of
costumes, musical instruments and other elements, depending on the
locality.
Date: May 3 to 5
Festivity: International Festival "Voz del Alma Llanera"
Place: San Fernando de Apure (Apure)
Description: This festival is celebrated within the framework of the
Agricultural Fair. Artisan and Industrial. The most famous llanera music
singers take part, both from Venezuela and from Colombia.
In the municipalities Baruta and El Hatillo in the month of May the Festivities
are celebrated in homage to the Virgin of Fatima
October
Date: 5/7
Festivity: San Francisco de Asís
Place: Valleys of Aragua (Aragua)
Description: Festivities in honor of Saint Francis of Assisi

8. Date: 12
Festivity: Day of the Spirits DANCING IN CANDELA
Place: Mountain of Sorte (Yaracuy) Mountain of Maria Lionza.
Description: Dances, santeros rituals and spiritualists in honor of all the
entities of the cult. Dance on fire, drum beat, dances, chants. etc.
Date: 12
Festivity: Day of the Indigenous Resistance
Place: All Venezuela
Description: Party in commemoration of the Discovery of America.
November
Date: November 7 and 8
Festivity: National Classic Fishing King
Place: Peninsula of Paraguaná (Falcón)
Description: Numerous national and foreign nautical teams operate between
Punta Caimán and Punta Macoya. Water skiing, underwater fishing and
sailboat regattas.
Date: November 15-22
Festivity: Fair of the Chinita
Place: Maracaibo (Zulia)
Description: It has its origin in the Patron Saint Festivities of Chiquinquirá.
Religious activities Processions, chants of bagpipes in honor of "La Chinita",
as the Zulian people call the Virgin of Chiquinquirá. Agricultural exhibitions.
Artistic and sports shows. Bullfights

9. December
Date: December 4
Festivity: Celebration of the Day of Santa Barbara
Place: All the Country (Venezuela)
Description: Day in which the believers of the cult to Santa Barbara, pay
tribute to their image, giving offerings that go from simple rituals, to great
parties accompanied by music, dances, songs and a lot of food. The
offerings to her are: Wine, fruits (apples), grains, lots of light (candles),
flowers.
Date: December 9
Festivity: Declaration of Coro and its Port of La Vela. "Cultural heritage of
Humanity"
Place: Coro y la Vela (Falcón)
Description: Day in which the Declaration by Unesco of Coro and La Vela is
celebrated, as Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Date: December 12
Festivity: Virgin of Guadalupe
Place: Sanctuary of Carrizal (Falcón)
Description: At the Sanctuary of El Carrizal, in the Municipality of Colina, the
celebration begins with a walk that departs from the Fair Park in Coro at 3:00
a.m., and the festivities continue throughout the day.
Date: December 24
Festivity: Pastors of San Joaquin
Place: San Joaquín (Carabobo)

10. Description: Beautiful tradition that is celebrated on the night of 24. The
Pastors with their party go out to walk the streets of San Joaquin in the
direction of the church, singing, dancing and making figures. They enter the
temple guided by the Estrellero, and sit on the floor pretending to be asleep.
At the end of the Mass of Rooster an Angel appears announcing the birth of
the Child Jesus. Then the Pastors begin to sing and make offerings to the
Child, then go out to the square to perform their dances.
Date: December 24
Festivity: Birth of the Child God
Place: All the Country (Venezuela)
Description: In all the houses of Venezuela, the birth of the child God is
celebrated starting at midnight, uncovering the child in the Manger and
making offerings, which range from songs to prayers. It makes a great family
dinner.
Date: December 28
Festivity: The crazy ones of the candle
Place: The Candle of choir (Falcon)
Description: In the town of La Vela de Coro, the Day of the Fools of La Vela is
celebrated, starting with the eve, where the "Mojiganga" leaves to visit the
whole town, and to point out the houses where the next day Los Locos must
make your stops.
Date: December 28
Festivity: The Dance of the Monkey
Place: Caicara de Maturín (Monagas)

11. Description: The dance of the monkey is of indigenous origin and is related
to the ceremonies practiced formerly by the Chaima groups, of Caribbean
origin, in order to obtain good and abundant harvests. The comparsas are
characterized by their original costumes in which the creativity of the
different characters stands out.
Date: December 28
Festivity: Las Zaragozas
Place: Sanare (Lara)
Description: The party of Los Zaragozas belongs to that celebration of wide
dispersion in the Andean states known as locos and locainas, which, for
some reason, in Sanare and Guárico acquired its own name. It is celebrated
every 28th of December, when the Church commemorates the Day of the
Holy Innocents in remembrance of the collective murder of children, ordered
by Herod, the failed intention to eliminate the Child-God. For popular
tradition that is a day of crazy and crazy acts. In its essence, this celebration
brings together opposing symbols.