We here in the Caribbean love to enjoy ourselves and one way we do it is to have Carnival.
But how many of us know the history of this festival?
Many out there might just think it is just partying and dancing but for every festival there is a deeper meaning.
Carnival is said to mean "Farewell to meat/ flesh" which is referenced to Catholic practice of abstaining from meat from Ash Wednesday to Easter.(gocaribbean.com)
It is believed that our African Ancestors had an influence on this festival. Important to Caribbean festival arts are the ancient African traditions of parading and moving in circles through villages in costumes and masks. Circling villages was believed to bring good fortune, to heal problems, and chill out angry relatives who had died and passed into the next world. Carnival traditions also borrow from the African tradition of putting together natural objects (bones, grasses, beads, shells, fabric) to create a piece of sculpture, a mask, or costume — with each object or combination of objects representing a certain idea or spiritual force. (Carnivalpower.com)
"Historians believe the first "modern" Caribbean Carnival to have originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the late 18th century, as a flood of French emigres brought the Masquerade tradition with them to the island, although Fat Tuesday celebrations were almost certainly taking place at least a century before that." (gocaribbean.com)
This tradition may have been started in Trinidad but it didn't stay there. It has acted as a way of uniting people in the region and even the world.
We can see where other Islands have adopted and adapted this festival and incorporated their own culture. And that is why in Barbados it's called crop over and here in Jamaica it is called Baccahanal.
References:
Carnival Power, The History of Carnival. http://www.carnivalpower.com/history_of_carnival.htm. Retrieved 03.06.2017
Go Caribbean, A Brief History of Carnival in the Caribbean. http://gocaribbean.about.com/od/culturesandpeople/a/A-Brief-History-Of-Carnival-In-The-Caribbean.htm. Retrieved 03.06.2017.
Picture: TriniGourmet, Trinidad and Tobago Carnival- A brief overview. http://www.trinigourmet.com/index.php/trinidad-and-tobago-carnival-a-brief-overview/ . Retrieved 03.06.2017
