In Camagüey city, the beginning of San Juan gives way to a great variety of traditions, from the characteristic congas and comparsas, to the ajiacos. However, the custom of decorating the streets during the days of celebration is perhaps less known to the young, an initiative that even became a competition and awarded by the organizing committee of the great celebration of our city.

This tradition -which began with the very emergence of the festivity- put the creativity of the homeowners to the test, who were capable of decorating their streets with an infinite number of aesthetic resources, which is why sometimes a kind of themed walks was achieved allegorical to historical dates, television programs, among other topics.

The streets of the Historic Center of the city mainly participated, although on the outskirts of this area there were many arteries that added to the tradition. One of the many-awarded streets in these contests was that of Jesús María, between Callejuela and San Esteban, a place where that custom is still remembered.

Encouraging and recovering traditions of this type is a way to revitalize the San Juan festivities in Camagüey and to motivate the people of this land for the desire to keep alive one of the oldest and most genuine festivities in Cuba.

Translated by: Aileen Álvarez García