The Day of the Monkey is a celebration that is not easily categorized into a specific type. It is, in part, a revitalization movement, because of its reference to the transformation of the town of Caicara. The celebration also displays the three stages of liminality in its rituals, although it is not a rite of passage ceremony (Turner:202). Cultural values such as gender roles and religion are evident in the celebration, and ultimately the reinforcement of indigenous pride. The Day of the Monkey not only is a day to dance and drink, but also a day of remembrance and tradition.
The celebration of the Day of the Monkey in Caicara is part of a revitalization movement dating back to the formation of the town in the 1700s. When missionaries first formed Caicara, and the Indians attempted to overthrow them in an attack, the Indians were thwarted by what has been deemed a religious miracle. However, in the eyes of the Indians, the victory was theirs and they use this victory as grounds to celebrate “the power of the church and the state [being] defeated” (Guss 2000:64). The pressure of the Christian missionaries provoked a revitalization movement among the Indians in Venezuela, and this celebration celebrates the town’s transformation, despite being based on an imaginary victory.
The Day of the Monkey is also has liminal components. The sacra (meaning “sacred things” in Latin) are displayed, including artifacts such as machetes, masks, and bamboo instruments (Turner:202). Ludic recombination is also demonstrated. This is indicated by a “playful recombination” of cultural elements (Turner: 202). Here, men dress as monkeys and dance playfully, and men dress as women wearing wigs and dresses. Finally, the celebration provides a feeling of communitas, or togetherness and spontaneous egalitarianism, among its participants (Turner:202). All of the dancers and those who attend the celebration are brought together with the common bond of recognizing the indigenous culture of Venezuela, and commemorating the accomplishments of their ancestors.
The Day of the Monkey is significant to the culture of the people who celebrate it, and the ceremony itself reflects their societal values and norms. In many tribes in Venezuela, women are targets of violence and discrimination (Briggs 2000:299). In this celebration, however, the manner in which the Dance of the Monkey is performed demonstrates that men are comfortable enough to dress as women, and that this is not a societal taboo. They dress in women’s clothing, wear oversized fake breasts, and paint their faces (Guss 2000:66). This may indicate that women are not of enough importance in the society to participate in the dance themselves. However, many of the dancing groups, or parrandas, are made up of both male and female dancers (Guss 2000:66). While men may take leadership roles in the community, this allows one to infer that males and females do share some equality. The references made to religion in this celebration are actually quite contradictory. On one hand, the celebration is praising the indigenous people of Venezuela for breaking away from the Christian missionaries that established Caicara. However, the entire celebration revolves around the Monkey, who is said to be an ancient god.
Essentially, the Day of the Monkey has both traditional and cultural significance to the people of Caicara. While the celebration shows evidence of being part of a revitalization movement and shows the three components of liminality, it is also entirely based off of a false perception of victory by the Indians. The actual historical event that the celebration commemorates is the inability of the Indians to take over Caicara, not an Indian victory. It still, however, manages to inspire communitas among the village, uniting them with a common cause for festivities. Despite social or economic differences, each year the community of Caicara takes time to celebrate the indigenous culture of their country, which shows the true significance of the Day of the Monkey to Venezuela.