Festival of St. Lazarus

This coming week is Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Nicaragua and we expect celebrations and fireworks in abundance (but we have the whole week off of school, so we can’t complain). People have already been celebrating a little bit on the weekends to get ready. For example, last weekend was the festival of St. Lazarus, a carnival complete all of the usual carnival trappings--scary clowns, rigged games, a Ferris wheel, cotton candy, and dogs. Oh, dogs aren’t normally there? Well, I think you’ll agree that they made a nice addition. Everyone came to the carnival, which took place at the church just a few blocks away, with their dogs all dressed up in lots of funny costumes. No one can really explain what Lazarus has to do with dogs in clown costumes, so we can safely assume that it doesn’t have anything to do with him.

The afforementioned scary clown. Holly and I were wondering how much money someone would have to pay us to ride this Ferris wheel. We never came up with a number high enough.In case you don't have a puppy to bring to the festival but still really want to fit in, this woman is selling her basket-full of puppies so no one will have to be left out.

These three dogs got the pleasure of wearing people clothes for the day.

This poor dog in the clown costume even had some makeup on.

The bows on this dog's ears were cute but we're not sure we want to know how they were attached.
This is how most people in Masaya get around. One person pedals and the other sits on the frame. Holly and I have been practicing for months and still haven't gotten it but this dog seems to have mastered it with undeniable style and pizzaz.