Masks and other costume necessities for the procession.
The procession of Los Agüizotes involves a magnitude of people dressed in grotesque masks and gowns. The belief in Los Agüizotes is a reflection of the superstitionfed to Nicaraguans by their ancestors and forced upon them by the elements brought into thecolony. To many Nicaraguans, Agüizote is horror, myth, legend, witchcraft,and the beliefs of ancestors. The celebration is inspired by legends and mythologies of Nicaragua culture including characters such as The Crier, The Priest Without a Head, and Take Your Titty. Participants roam the streets dressed as various characters and demons trying to impose fear on the children of Masaya.
In the procession of Los Agüizotes, more than ten popular music bands called "chicheros" are distributed among fourteen blocks. Almost ten thousand people dressed in honor of San Jerónimo dance with proper movements from the characters they are representing. Participants dress as spirits of the dead and as traditional figures from Masaya’s Indigenous legends. They dance through the streets of Masaya after nightfall, in their costumes made out of black, brown, and white fabricks. Masks are made by dozens of local craftsmen who use (for processing) paper mache, starch, plaster and paint. Several add horns of cows, deer and other animals to create more fear and excitement among those present at the festival. Masks can be purchased at the Craft Market located next to the National Police, in the market for bus terminal in Managua, and in the White Villages.
Local craftsman creating masks to sell for the procession.
Vendor with masks lying out for customers to buy.