Get to Know the Vibrant Festivals in Uruguay!

If you absolutely love to attend unique festivals and are looking for the perfect destination for trips, why don’t you visit Uruguay? It is known to be the home of festivals where not less than 16 public holidays are held throughout the year. Many of the festivals also include sporting celebrations and observance of religious days so it sometimes feels like all that happens in Uruguay is lots of partying with occasional breaks. Let us look at some of the famous festivals that have put Uruguay on the map and become one of the top tourist sites due to these festivals.

Festival de Tango

As the title suggests, tango is what brings people from all over the world to this festival. This four-day festival in Uruguay is devoted to exceptional moves and rhythm of the tango music. This festival is held in the Punta del Este and is increasingly drawing attention from the rest of the world. The Tango dance is known to be a very sensual dance and once the music starts playing, everyone cannot stop moving. This is especially a huge attraction to newlyweds who come for their honeymoon at this time of the year or even couples who seek to spice their love life.

Carnival and Las Llamadas

These two festivals in Uruguay almost happen at the same time with events running from late February to early March. At this time, the streets are filled with so much energy as people celebrate the two festivals almost consecutively. They are both celebrated by the black community and they are hedonistic high water marks. These means that people put on their costumes and hit the streets where there’s music and dance. This combination of festivals marks one of the world’s greatest get-togethers for you to partake in.

Dia de Muertos

This festival, which stands for “Day of the Dead”, begins on 2nd November and is a two-day celebration, intended to be a mark of respect for the dead. The participants adorn themselves with skeleton masks and costumes that amplify the spooky charm on the streets. Family members who have lost their loved ones visit their grave sites as part of the festival, after which they indulge in a full blown party.

La Fiesta Patria Gaucha

La Fiesta Patria Gaucha is celebrated in the 2nd week of March, and it is attended by Gauchos and other Uruguayans. It is known to be the largest festival in South America. Gauchos are Uruguay’s cowboys and this festival is packed with competitions, barbecued traditional food, poetry, and parades. The event is indeed a very colorful one literally – with the attendees putting on colorful traditional attires.

Lemanja Festival

This festival is held on the 2nd of February and it is devoted to the Goddess of the Sea. Those who attend will bring offerings such as watermelons and flowers to present to the Goddess to receive her blessings while others craft small boats to carry these offerings. Those attending the festival usually wear blue or white colors. Not all attendees at Lemanja Festival are there to offer sacrifices to the Sea Goddess, so the rest of the world can also join in the many street parties held near the coast areas.

Have you attended any of these festivals in Uruguay before? Share with us your first-hand experience!