Festivities

In this class, we have discussed Southern culture in various different aspects. This has made me analyze how Colombian culture is similar to American culture. The first observation I made was the fact that in both countries regionalism exists. In America, the rivalry between the North and the South is very popular. This is very similar to Colombia because the culture from the coastal (caribbean) part competes with the culture from the interior part, which includes Colombia's capital (Bogota). The truth is that there is not a best region, they are just different. Colombia's caribbean region is very similar to the American South. Both have a warm weather and are known for their hospitality and the warmth of their people. The food also plays a big role in differentiating them from each others competition. Another similarity is that the South is known in America for being less industrialized than the North and the Coastal part in Colombia is also known for its rural aspect. In Colombia, the coastal part is known for its vacation sites and for its relaxed environment, which is similar to what we have learned about how America views the South. This is also shown by the fact that both regions have popular carnivals. In Colombia, Barranquilla celebrates " El Carnaval de Barranquilla" and in a similar way New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras. Both carnivals revolve around famous parades which are organized by krewes, which in Colombia are called "comparsas". Both have kings and queens who are selected based in their social status. When looking at some pictures of Mardi Gras, I also realized that costumes are very similar and both contain colorful masks. Both of these carnivals shape how each region is viewed by their own country. Here are some pictures of the Carnivals celebrated in each country where their similarities are obvious.