La Paradura del Niño es una festividad católica de origen colonial que se ha arraigado en la cultura andina venezolana. Se celebra en todos los pueblos andinos de Venezuela, con especial importancia en Mérida. Se celebra en Mérida entre el 1 de enero y el 2 de febrero, con la culminación en el Día de la Candelaria. Consiste en pasear al Niño Jesús por las casas de la comunidad, acompañados de cantos, música y rezos, como una forma de celebrar su “nacimiento” y su desarrollo.
La figura del Niño Jesús se lleva a pasear por las casas, a menudo en un pañuelo de seda. Se realizan cantos y se toca música tradicional, como valses, contradanzas y joropos. Se rezan rosarios y se cantan versos al Niño Jesús. En algunos casos, se organiza una procesión por las calles del pueblo. La Paradura del Niño es una oportunidad para compartir con familiares, amigos y padrinos, fortaleciendo los lazos comunitarios. La Paradura del Niño representa la celebración de la fe, la unidad familiar y la tradición cultural de los pueblos andinos, como en los pueblos del sur de Mérida. Cuando mas disfrute la tradicion era despues de tener mi primera hija. Yo me reunia con la faila del papa y haciamos biscocho, visitabamos muchas casas alrededor de familiares, amigos y vecinos. Yo me acuerdo que me hacia muy alegre porque yo iba con mi hija y comiamos.
Translation:
The Paradura del Niño (The Child’s Parade)
The Paradura del Niño (The Child’s Parade) is a Catholic festival of colonial origin that has become deeply rooted in Venezuelan Andean culture. It is celebrated in all Andean towns in Venezuela, with particular importance in Mérida. The tradition celebrated in Mérida between January 1 and February 2, culminating on Candlemas Day. It consists of carrying the Baby Jesus through the homes of the community, accompanied by songs, music, and prayers, as a way to celebrate his “birth” and development.
The figure of the Baby Jesus is carried through homes, often in a silk scarf. Songs are sung and traditional music is played, such as waltzes, country dances, and joropos. Rosaries are recited and verses are sung to the Baby Jesus. Procession: In some cases, a procession is organized through the streets of the town. It is an opportunity to share with family, friends, and godparents, strengthening community ties. The Paradura del Niño represents the celebration of faith, family unity, and the cultural traditions of Andean communities, such as those in the towns south of Mérida.
I enjoyed the tradition the most after having my first daughter. I would get together with the father’s family, and we would make biscuits, visiting many homes with family, friends, and neighbors. I remember that it made me very happy because I would go with my daughter, and we would eat.
Analysis
The Paradura del Niño illustrates how religious folklore becomes a living practice that reinforces communities’ shared identity and social festivity. This tradition is rooted in Catholic ritual but shaped by regional Venezuelan customs, which exemplifies what Abrahams (1993) refers to as the transformation of “phantoms of romantic nationalism” into local practices that define belonging and heritage. As a blend of domestic ritual and social festivity, the Paradura aligns with Appadurai’s (1988) view of cultural practices as simultaneously sacred and social, these are moments when communities imagine themselves through shared performance. The singing of verses and communal prayer reflects emphasis on folklore as a medium for moral instruction and social solidarity. The informant’s personal experience, finding new joy in the tradition through her role as a mother, shows how she emotionally engaged with tradition. As a festival centered around a divine child and enacted in domestic spaces, Paradura del Niño also echoes the symbolic focus on family, innocence, and renewal that Tok Thompson (2019) associates with vernacular sacredness in modern folklore. It is not only a celebration of faith, but a lived, evolving narrative of family, food, and joy that binds individual memory to collective ritual.