It's Mardi Gras in New Orleans. I'm sure the Sants' recent Super Bowl victory is making things more fun down there. It's Fastnacht Day in Pennsylvania. You may recall the Donut Debacle of 2009. Already this year I have skinned up 2 knuckles bad enough that I am still applying pressure and typing in a very odd fashion. Since I need to finish this year's attempt before I go into work and since several of you have expressed interest in more Trini posts I am rerunning a post from 4 years ago about Carnival in Trinidad. Sorry I can't attribute the source of the photos since they are old and I didn't keep track of that the first time, but they are not original to me.
Carnival officially opens on Monday, though the partying starts well before that. In the wee hours, J'ouvert (Zhoo-VAY) takes place. Festivities are opened with a parade of mud or oil covered revellers. They cut eerie figures in the first rays of morning light as they evoke thoughts of primal beginnings. Mud is free and allows anyone, poor or rich to engage in the bacchanal before the day gives way to the brightly colored mas bands in their expensive and ornate finery.
Monday and Tuesday give way to parades of mas (masquerade) bands. Months have been spent preparing costumes for the hordes of people who will join marching and dancing along the street to the biggest calypso and soca hits of the season.
Stilted moka jumbies walk along.
Tuesday will be the final competitions to crown the Queens...
And the Kings.
Happy Carnival all yuh!
If you'd like to hear some live music here is a link to some videos I posted one year.
Carnival officially opens on Monday, though the partying starts well before that. In the wee hours, J'ouvert (Zhoo-VAY) takes place. Festivities are opened with a parade of mud or oil covered revellers. They cut eerie figures in the first rays of morning light as they evoke thoughts of primal beginnings. Mud is free and allows anyone, poor or rich to engage in the bacchanal before the day gives way to the brightly colored mas bands in their expensive and ornate finery.
Monday and Tuesday give way to parades of mas (masquerade) bands. Months have been spent preparing costumes for the hordes of people who will join marching and dancing along the street to the biggest calypso and soca hits of the season.
Stilted moka jumbies walk along.
Tuesday will be the final competitions to crown the Queens...
And the Kings.
Happy Carnival all yuh!
If you'd like to hear some live music here is a link to some videos I posted one year.
