J'ouvert

I attended my first J'ouvert celebration on Monday. J'ouvert is celebrated on many islands within the Eastern Caribbean and other cities around the world. J'ouvert is a celebration that involves calypso and soca bands and their followers dancing through the streets. The celebration starts well before dawn and peaks a few hours after sunrise. Some the origins of Carnival coincide with the emancipation of slavery. Emancipation provided Africans with the opportunity, to not only participate in Carnival, but to embrace it as an expression of their new found freedom.Others say, slaves were banned from masquerade balls of the french and the slaves would stage their own mini-carnivals in their backyards — using their own rituals and folklore, but also imitating and sometimes mocking their masters’ behaviors. Also, people would cover their bodies oil and paint to avoid being recognized. I woke up around 4am to go to town with another volunteer. We got a great seat at a restaurant and watched the parade from above. It was great to see young and older people having a great time. It was a great experience and Im glad I went. I experienced Carnival :)