It's that time again, Trinidad Carnival is right around the corner. Almost every Trini has already purchased their Carnival costumes, and many tourists are on their way to Trinidad. Either to take part in the reveling or just to soak up the sun and enjoy Carnival in all its glory. Trini Carnival is similar to Caribana in Canada, Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Brazil Carnival but there's just something about Carnival that has people coming from far and wide to witness the event.
Dimanche Gras, is a French term for big Sunday. It is a huge competition in which The Kings and Queens of the Carnival Bands are paraded before judges, one of which will win King and Queen of Carnival, as well as the Calypsonians competing against each other all hoping to come away with the coveted title of Calypso Monarch. It is held the Sunday before Carnival Monday.
After Dimanche Gras comes J'ouvert, which is French for jour ouvert, or day open or Morning. The start of the Carnival celebrations which takes place on Monday and Tuesday.J'ouvert is celebrated on many islands, including Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Saint Lucia, Guyana, Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Sint Maarten, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. It is also a feature of New York City's West Indian Day Parade held on Labor Day, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn and Notting Hill Carnival in London. J'ouvert also known as dirty mas starts at 4 AM and continues until 8-9 AM. For J'ouvert the masqueraders wear old clothes and short pants covered with mud, paint and oil.
After J'ouvert, Carnival begins. On Monday the masqueraders don't show up in their full costume, they save it for Tuesday where they come out in all their glory to parade in the streets, long into the night. Monday and Tuesday is known as Parade of the Bands, or Pretty Mas.
Trinidad Carnival could definitely be called the Greatest Show on Earth, as thousands of people come from all over the world just to experience Trini Carnival.
As Carnival winds down, everyone flocks to Maracas Beach on Ash Wednesday for some rest and relaxation. They soak up the sun and reminisce about their two day fete, until they get to do it again next year.
Some photos are copyrighted to Trinidad Carnival Diary
Culture Magazine
