The Dancing Devils of Yare (or Diablos Danzantes del Yare) celebrate Corpus Christi in quite the unique way - by dancing in devil costumes of red. The religious festival, held in San Francisco de Yare, Venezuela, has been celebrated since the 18th century. It is held in honor of patron saint Saint Francis of Paola and is one of the largest, if not the largest, festivals in Venezuela. 

The colorful costumes and masks vary from region to region of Venezuela, but they all have one thing in common: they all involve bursts of color and costumes made to look like the devil.


The festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil. 

Performances

In San Francisco, the dancing devils are dressed in red and wear intricate hand-painted masks of dragons. Other towns have subtle differences. They dance with a combination of maracas, rosaries, crucifixes, and even whips. The idea is to ward of evil spirits with this dazzling display of costumes, dancing, drums, and string instruments.

They parade through the streets beginning on Wednesday, when fulías (a native music style) is played and décimas (a native form of poetry) is recited through the wee hours of the morning. The following day, dancing takes places within the town square. They then move towards the church where the performers act out a sort of battle between the guardians of the church before finally surrendering in a show of good winning out over evil. 

The Brotherhood and Cultural Significance 

The festival's origins belong to a brotherhood (also known as promise-keepers) committed to passing on the oral history of these traditions to younger generations.

A single foreman is nominated as the leading member.  Hierarchy within the brotherhood is indicated by the size and intricacy of the mask he dons. Formed in the 18th century, it is the oldest brotherhood in the Americas. 

The collaboration is not limited to the brotherhood, however. Women participate by overseeing the progression of the rituals and preparing food while the children are prepped to eventually become members of the brotherhood themselves. 

Attending

The closest airport is Simón Bolívar Airport (CCS) in Maiquetía, just outside of Caracas. From there it is advisable to take a private car or tour to San Francisco de Yare. 

The festival takes place each year around Corpus Christi. Additional festivities such as St. John’s Drums and the St. Peter’s Feast surround the holiday and make it worth arriving early and sticking around for more celebrations.