History of the Chinelos

The Chinelos dance dates back to 1807 in colonial Morelos, Mexico. The costumed dance originated in response to the exclusion of the Mexican indigenous people in the Carnival festivities by the Spaniards. As a result, the indigenous youth disguised themselves by covering their faces and wearing old clothes of different colors to imitate and mock the Spaniards. Over time, the original Chinelos attire evolved to include elaborate colorful robes, gloved hands and uptilted beards. Today Chinelos’ outfits have four principal elements: a long, flowing robe, often with a rectangular tunic over it; a mask; a large, plumed hat and a pair of gloves.