Traditional culture and magic meet at the Snake Parade in Cuba

The Caribbean Festival, one of the most important regional festivals celebrating traditional culture and religious rituals, came to a close in Santiago de Cuba.
This year the festival was dedicated to the cultural heritage of the Brazilian state of Pernambuco and the island of Curaçao, which is part of the Lesser Antilles group of islands.
As acknowledged by the organizers and participants, the Snake Parade and the Burning of the Devil ceremonies were the brightest events of the festival. 
The Snake Parade is traditionally one of the most anticipated and spectacular events at the festival.  The parade is a theatrical procession of all the artists, dancers, and religious figures participating in the festival.
The dancing and drum beats of the parade incorporated both African music, the folk music that inspired the black slaves in their fight against slavery, and European musical influences.
The festival culminated in the Devil Burning ceremony, during which a giant figure of the Prince of Darkness made of branches and plants was destroyed in a bonfire.