As you travel through the Andes, a few things might catch your eye: the flash of a snow-capped mountain, a shaggy-haired alpaca or the vibrant clothes of the Andean women. The beautiful skirts you’ll see are called polleras. Their patterns, colors and designs change from village to village, and their story is a fascinating one. We’ve assembled a guide to polleras and where you can purchase one on your next Peru trip. A pollera is a full skirt made from cotton or wool that is decorated in vibrant embroidery. Decorations often include flowers and local animals. The rounded shape is similar to that of a bird cage, which is where we get the term pollera. Pollo, of course, means chicken. The Andean pollera The Andean pollera dates back to colonial times. During Spanish colonization, the settlers brought their European fashion sense along with them. One of the most popular pieces was the long and voluminous skirt that was particularly popular among peasants in Andalusia. Andean women decided to make their own out of alpaca wool. However, they decided to put their own twist on the garment. As such, the result was often more vibrant than its Spanish counterpart. While polleras are used for traditional festivals and folklore, you’re sure to see the dazzling dresses as you explore with a Bolivia or Peru travel guide. In these countries, the word pollera denotes a skirt worn by the urban mestizo and the rural indigenous classes. In the Bolivian altiplano, the urban pollera is made of eight meters of cloth and it is worn with four to five embroidered underskirts, which gives the Cholitas (mestizo women who wear the pollera) a "round" shape. Many women wear polleras daily, though they save their more elegant garments for special occasions. The most expensive polleras have very full
As you travel through the Andes, a few things might catch your eye: the flash of a snow-capped mountain, a shaggy-haired alpaca or the vibrant clothes of the Andean women. The beautiful skirts you’ll see are called polleras. Their patterns, colors and designs change from village to village, and their…
One week ago the Oruro Carnival Bolivia, came to an end. The carnival, a UNESCO-listed Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, is celebrated for ten days around Ash Wednesday. People from throughout Bolivia and beyond gather in the streets of Oruro for the annual carnival, one of the most widely celebrated and oldest cultural traditions in Latin America. The roughly 2,000 year old event features tens of thousands of dancers in spectacularly detailed and colorful costumes and masks accompanied by huge bands. It is a dramatic fusion of indigenous music, dances and rituals combined with Euro-Christian traditions. Read more about Bolivia's top festivals and download a free Bolivia festival calendar guide. Oruro Carnival Bolivia Andean & Catholic Tradtions behind Oruro Carnival Carnaval de Oruro represents more than just a lively celebration, it is symbolic of the syncretism between the Catholic ideals imparted by Colonial expansion and the thousands of years old Andean rituals that are so ingrained in the region. After the arrival of the Spanish conquistadores, the native celebration was transformed by the incorporation of a Catholic ritual focused on the Virgin of Candelaria, or in Bolivia a focus on the Virgin of Socavón, who is believed to watch over laborers working in the region’s many mines. Dancing troupes The numerous comparsas, or groups comprised of 1,000-strong troupes of dancers, musicians and other characters during the carnival, are focused on different aspects of life in the high Andes, such as agricultural cycles, mining, religion and other themes. La Diablada, or the devil’s dance, is one of the many distinguishing features of the carnival with colorfully costumed dancers, masked diablos, and choreographed routines intricately enacting the victory of the Archangel St. Michael over Lucifer. The dance also serves as an allegory of the Spanish conquest of the
One week ago the Oruro Carnival Bolivia, came to an end. The carnival, a UNESCO-listed Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity, is celebrated for ten days around Ash Wednesday. People from throughout Bolivia and beyond gather in the streets of Oruro for the annual carnival, one of…
