From Curacao to St.Vincent , somewhere on the island Christmas and New Year's festivities no sooner end than it's time for that colorful marathon of parades, music and revelry called Carnival. The most spectacular of all Caribbean Carnivals explodes in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
Though officially celebrated on the Monday and Tuesday preceding Ash Wednesday, all sorts of activities take place during the weeks before Lent, with costumes so lavish that the best designers become local celebrities. And whether it’s Carnival or not, the sounds of steel band rehearsals echo through the streets all year long. During Carnival, contests for the best costume, band of the year, Calypso Monarch and Road March King as well as for king and queen of the carnival itself provide marvellous spectator entertainment.
Curacao and Aruba Hold Similar Celebrations
In Curacao, pre-Lenten carnival festivities include dancing parades accompanied by the tumba beat, culminating in the Gran Marcha (the festival's big parade). The tumba, one of Curacao's most popular rhythms, punctuates all the festivities and top island musicians compete for the title of Rei de Tumba (Tumba King). When the king is chosen, his song becomes the theme for that year's carnival and is heard throughout the celebration.
The coronation of carnival royalty is also an important part of the festivities. The Prince and his helper, Pancho, are chosen from contestants in a storytelling competition. The Carnival Queen pageant is a national beauty contest that draws entries from all parts of the island. A similar celebration takes place on Curacao's sister island, Aruba.
Martinique and Guadaloupe Festivities Begin in January
On Martinique and Guadaloupe, carnival celebrations begin in January, with events scheduled each weekend. The week before Ash Wednesday the tempo accelerates with parades and masked balls. One of the most colorful events in the Caribbean occurs on Shrove Tuesday when hordes of children all over the islands parade about in red devil costumes.
On Ash Wednesday's Fete des Diablesses, hundreds of masked devils -- costumed this time in black and white -- parade until dusk when the festival's King Vaval is burned in effigy on a funeral pyre. When Vaval's coffin is burned at midnight, Carnival is over for another year.
Caribbean Summer Carnival Celebrations
On a few of the islands, such as St. Maarten, St. Vincent and Antigua, the dates for Carnival have been changed from its traditional time of year to midsummer. The day before Ash Wednesday heralds the beginning of a six-week long Haitian festival called Rara. The celebration's name actually means loud noise, which will give you a clue as to the intensity of the festivities as troupes of masqueraders parade through all the island's villages as well as its capital, Port-au-Prince.
April is Carnival time in St. Thomas. The first week's activities are devoted to singers' competitions for the title of Calypso King. Highlights of the second week include a food festival featuring traditional dishes such as fried fish and fungi and Kallaloo; a "tramp" through town during the wee hours on Jouvert Morning, and a series of parades with floats and marching units. St. Croix' Christmas Festival lasts from Christmas Eve to January 6 and St. John has a July carnival.
Crop Over, Merengue Festival and More
One of the biggest July festivals in the Caribbean is Crop Over in Barbados (from mid-July through mid-August). The annual celebration, which had its beginnings during slavery days at the end of the sugar harvest, includes calypso competitions, street fairs, variety shows, parades and jump-ups (parties).
Also in July, the Dominican Republic's Merengue Festival is a 10-day party with bands and orchestras playing on the Malecon in Santo Domingo, a fish fair, folkloric performances, arts and crafts. There's also a gastronomic extravaganza for which all the hotel chefs cook up their specialties.
And speaking of food, at Guadaloupe's Fete des Cuisinieres (Cook's Festival), women in Creole costumes carry their home-cooked island specialties in enormous baskets trimmed with kitchen utensils to Pointe a Petre's cathedral. Following the parade, a high mass is celebrated and then it's time for a gargantuan feast, complete with singing and dancing.
Pirate’s Week, Statia-America Day and the Carriacou Regatta
The highlight of Pirate's Week in Grand Cayman comes when a group of costumed pirates and wenches board a replica of a galleon and sail into the harbor. Grenada's annual Carriacou Regatta during July and August is another island festival that focuses on the sea. A more solemn celebration takes place on St Eustatius November 16 when on Statia-America Day the people commemorate the fact that their country was the first nation to officially recognize the Thirteen Colonies.
Connie Emerson - Ever since I can remember, going places and seeing new sights has intrigued me. A robin drinking from a puddle after a springtime Paris ...
