The Máscara de Lechón is a mask used in the Dominican Republic to celebrate the Carnival. When I was little, I remember going to the Santiago Carnival with my parents. I loved seeing the different costumes, the dancing, the lively music, and the acting. My parents also told me stories about the carnival and how funny the Lechones were, but also on how dangerous they could be. In the past, some of them often attacked the people with a lasso because that was a tradition, but they are not like that now. My dad even has a lechón mask in my old house and when I was little I remember wishing to play with it, but my parents didn’t let me because it was too important. To conclude, the Máscara de Lechón is really important to me as part of my identity and it will always represent a lot of my childhood memories, my country and my family.

– J.V.

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