Santo Domingo Celebrations Start – August 1, 2024

History of Santo Domingo Celebrations Start

Nicaragua is a country in Central America, the largest of the Central American republics. This country can be characterized by its agricultural economy, history of autocratic government, and its imbalance of regional development. The country’s name comes from Nicarao, chief of the indigenous people living around present-day Lake Nicaragua during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Nicaragua was the only country in Latin America to be colonized by the Spanish and the British. Its population mainly comprises Mestizos, a mix of European and indigenous ancestry. The national capital is Managua, the country’s largest city and home to about one-sixth of the population.

Santo Domingo Celebration Start can be traced back to 1885 when a peasant named Vicente Aburto discovered the statue of Santo Domingo de Guzman. According to tradition, he found the statue while cutting down a tree on the outskirts of Managua. Managua’s patron saint festivities are centered around the procession of Saint Dominic. The saint’s statue, which ordinarily resides in the Las Sierritas Parish Church, is transported from the church to the Santo Domingo Church in the city’s center, where it stays for a few days before being brought back to its original site in another procession.

The figurine is referred to as Minguito and is placed in a glass case set in the center of a wooden pedestal decorated with flowers of different colors and feathers. It is, in turn, carried by various people who have been blessed by having their requests granted by the saint. The procession continues, accompanied by lively music performed by local musicians, as well as participants dressed in costumes called ‘diablitos,’ ‘vaquitas,’ and ‘indios.’ The procession starts after the 6 a.m. mass at Las Sierritas Church and continues into the late afternoon with the arrival at Santo Domingo Church.