The Grand Kadooment Parade in Barbados culminates with a dip in the sea — Photo courtesy of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc
Carnivals did not originate in the Caribbean; The tradition of throwing one last big bash before the solemn season of Lent dates back to early Christian Europe. However, each Caribbean nation has put its own unique spin on this sunny holiday, marked by elaborate and colorful costume parades, the naming of a carnival king and queen, and lots of dancing, strong drinks and great food. Here are eight carnivals you don’t want to miss.
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival
Mas Trinidad carnival bands perform in a street march — Photo courtesy of Kip1234
Even among Caribbean islands that are fiercely proud of their Carnival celebrations, many will say that Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival – the oldest in the Caribbean – is the biggest and best. An island-wide celebration that rivals Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Rio Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, this carnival is counted in months, not days, with preparations for the next year’s celebration beginning almost before the current year’s parades end.
Visitors and locals can join in the fun of concerts and soca, calypso and steel competitions, a children’s parade and a late-night j’ouvert parade. Marchers, splattered with paint, mud and chocolate, dance through the streets of Port of Spain, followed by trucks blasting music and serving rum drinks. And that’s just a warm-up for the main event, with two days of “mass bands” taking part in a mile-long road march to a pounding tropical beat. It’s a party that only ends when Lent begins and revelers retreat to the beaches to sleep it off.
Wait, Barbados
Barbados’ Crop Over is held every August — Photo courtesy of istsharp, Getty Images
Not every Caribbean carnival takes place during Lent. Crop Over in Barbados, for example, began as a harvest festival and is celebrated in August, making it a great option if you want to experience all the classic carnival traditions but can’t make a mid-winter getaway. A traditional handover of the last sugar cane of the season marks the beginning of a festival season that includes the Cohobblopot, an initial carnival where groups show off their costumes and fiery tunes. Festivities culminate in Grand Cadooment Day, Barbados’ version of a carnival parade that ends with a dip in the cool Caribbean waters.
Spicemas, Grenada
A participant in Grenada’s Spicemas j’ouvert march — Photo by Arthur Daniels
Another summer carnival, Spicemas, in Grenada, begins on the sister island of Carriacou with a regatta, before migrating to the mother island for a celebration of Grenada’s African, French, British and Caribbean cultures. The j’ouvert march includes thousands of jab jab performers and a masquerade parade, among many other festivities.
Vincy Mas, St. Vincent
St. Vincent is one of the less touristy destinations in the Caribbean, making its carnival one of the most authentic celebrations to experience. Two months of festivities, or “feasts,” in June and July culminate in raucous, handkerchief-waving costume parades. The Vincy Mas season also includes the Miss St. Louis pageant. Vincent and satellite celebrations on the islands of Bequia, Mustique and Union Island.
St. Lucia Carnival
Stunning St. Lucia Carnival Costumes – Photo courtesy of the St. Lucia Tourism Authority
Saint Lucia is best known for its spectacular scenery and luxury resorts, but the weekly year-round dance – a street party of music, food and dancing – in the Gros Islets shows that this island knows how to party too. It’s no wonder, then, that all of Saint Lucia comes out to celebrate Carnival in July. The fact that the original St. Lucia Carnival parade ended at the home of Nobel Prize-winning poet Derek Walcott illustrates that this is truly a carnival for people from all walks of life, locals and visitors alike.
Bonaire Carnival
Bonaire may be the smallest of the Dutch Caribbean’s “ABC Islands” (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao), but its annual carnival is a big event. The Lenten festival traditionally begins with a parade in Rincon, the oldest village on the island, and then continues with festivities in the capital of Kralendijk and the Marcha di Despedida costume street march. In addition to the usual calypso and soca, you’ll hear a lot of tumba, the island’s indigenous music that combines African roots with merengue and Latin jazz influences.
San Pedro Carnival, Belize
Not every place in the Caribbean is an island. There are nations in Central and South America that touch the Caribbean Sea and share a similar culture, as demonstrated during the annual San Pedro Carnival in Belize. Held in San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, this three-day celebration includes masquerade balls, beach parties, parades and the burning of an effigy of Don Juan Carnaval, symbolizing the cleansing of sins before the start of Lent.
Caribana, Toronto
Toronto’s Caribana is a massive gathering of the Caribbean diaspora — Photo courtesy of geniebird, Getty Images
The “coolest” Caribbean carnivals are not on the islands at all, but in the Great White North. Every July, the city of Toronto embraces the carnival spirit with Caribana, which claims to be the largest cultural celebration in North America and a massive gathering of the Caribbean diaspora. Caribana attracts more than a million people each year for a week-long celebration that includes performances by steel bands and a masquerade parade with tens of thousands of marchers.
