Sharing Our Cultural Heritage
One of the core beliefs within our community here at Nature Links is "we are all teachers". In our program, everyone has the skills, knowledge and ability to teach each other. I especially have a lot to learn from our participants!
This past week, we were lucky enough to participate in a class led by our very own Alex Morales. Alex did a great job teaching us all about the Puerto Rican tradition of "El Vejigante", the folkloric character featured in festivals and celebrations. If you travel to Puerto Rico today, you may see vibrantly colored masks adorned with twisting horns and sharp teeth. Although the masks appear frightening to some, they are a cherished tradition within Puerto Rican culture. According to legend, the vejigante masks are meant to represent the Moors that were defeated by Saint James in 12th century Spain. Locals dressed as demons to celebrate the defeat in annual celebrations. When the tradition was brought from Spain to Puerto Rico, it came with the music and drumming that exemplified the island’s mix of Spanish, African and Taino cultures.
A vejigante mask created by Kathrina
After teaching us about the history of Vejigante, Alex led participants in creating their own Vejigante masks (check out a few examples within this blog post). While creating the masks, we listened to traditional “bomba y plena” music from Puerto Rico.
We are so grateful that Alex shared this unique element of her culture with our Nature Links community. She not only enriched us with the knowledge and beauty of her cultural heritage, but she also inspired other Nature Links participants to share what makes them special. Every student has something to teach us all, and we look forward to other participant-led classes coming up later this month. Thank you Alex!
A vejigante mask created by Ignacio
A vejigante mask created by Derian
