What is Carnival?

Over the weekend, social media was flooded with images of people across the globe, celebrities included, celebrating carnival in Toronto (Caribana) and in Barbados (crop over).

Year-after-year we see the images and videos of hundreds and thousands of people gathered in the street, marching in parades and dancing, singing, laughing, cheering, dressed in embellished costumes and masks, celebrating the festivities. From countries in the Caribbean like Trinidad, Antigua, Jamaica, Bermuda, Antigua, the Bahamas, Grenada to Brazil, Spain, Italy, and dozens of other countries across the Caribbean, Central America and around the globe. But many still want to know, what is carnival and what is it all about?

The History of Carnival

Though social media has made the festivities more visible and prevalent. Carnival is about tradition, religion, culture, customs, food, music, dance, and celebration. It typically occurs before lent and in areas with high Catholic populations.

Since lent was a time of fasting from foods including meat, dairy, sweets and alcohol, elaborate parties (carnival) where people could indulge were thrown just before the fasting period. Some theories even suggest that the word carnival is derived from the latin word “carne vale”, which means “farewell to meat.”

In the Caribbean, Trinidad has been credited to being the mother of carnivals. Also known as “playing mas (masquerade)” while dancing to calypso, soca, dancehall, afro-beats and other forms of music derived in the Afro-caribbean diaspora. Their origins can be traced back to the 1800s before spreading to other islands across the Caribbean.

Prior to its inception across the Caribbean, Central and latin America (as we know it today, earlier forms of carnival can be traced back to European countries — specifically Italian-Europeans. Once mixed with the traditions of slaves brought in during the slave trade, the celebrations and customs evolved; resembling much of what we see in the Caribbean today.

Missed the festivities this weekend? Here’s a list of carnivals and locations you can still partake in for the remainder of 2019 and 2020.

List of upcoming carnivals 2019-2020

1. 1. 1. August 5, 2019 – Crop over (Barbados)
      2. August 5, 2019 – Tortola (British Virgin Islands)
      3. August 5 – 6, 2019 – Nevis
      4. August 5 – 6, 2019 – Antigua
      5. August 9, 2019 – Anguilla
      6. August 12 – 13, 2019 – Grenada
      7. September 2 – Labor Day (NYC)
      8. September 14, 2019 -Belize
      9. October 13, 2019 – Miami, FL (US)
      10. December 26, 2019 – January 1, 2020 – Montserrat
      11. December 26, 2019 – January 2, 2020 – St. Kitts Carnival
      12. December 2019 – January 8, 2020 – St. Croix, USVI
      13. January 1, 2020 – Monsterrat Carnival
      14. February 25, 2020 – Martinique Carnival
      15. February 25, 2020 – Trinidad Carnival
      16. February 25, 2020 – Mardi Gras
      17. February 25, 2020 – Rio De Janeiro Carnival
      18. February 25, 2020 – Kayak Mas (Carriacou)
      19. February 25, 2020 – Haiti Carnival
      20. February 22, 2020 – Guyana Mashramani
      21. February 25, 2020 – Guadeloupe Carniva
      22. February 25, 2020 – Dominica Carnival
      23. February 25, 2020 – Curaccao Carnival
      24. April 19, 2020 – Jamaica Carnival
      25. April 25, 2020 – St.Thomas Carnival
      26. April 30, 2020 – St.Marteen Carnival
      27. May 16, 2020 – Cayman Islands Carnival
      28. May 4, 2020 – Cayman Island Batabano
      29.  May 26, 2020 – Orlando Carnival May 26, 2020
      30. May 27, 2020 – Guyana Carnival
      31. July 6, 2019 – Carifesta (Montreal) Carnival
      32. July 9, 2020 – St Vincent Carnival
      33. July 20, 2020 – St Lucia Carnival
      34. August 12, 2020 – Grenada carnival
      35. August 25, 2019 – Notting Hill Carnival
      36. August 26, 2019 – Leeds Carnival

(Photo: Kandi Burruss/Instagram)

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