In the Caribbean culture there are many different celebrations that go on. All of these celebrations have different origins and meanings to them. In Nassau there is a celebration called Junkanoo.There are many origin stories that come up when you ask people about what started the celebration. The most common origin story, however, has to do with the times of the slaves. The story is the people that were enslaved by the many loyalists that came into the country were given 3 days off around Christmas time. During these 3 days the people would have a celebration full of song and dance parading from house to house, letting them remember the times before enslavement. They would have colorful masks, dancing, signs made on crepe paper and cardboard, and much more. When slavery was abolished the celebrations had stopped due to the people not being slaves anymore. The people had started the tradition, however, to remember their past and also to entertain and educate people on Caribbean culture.
I love the idea of turning such a negative experience(slavery) and flipping it into a positive celebration. It ensures that Caribbean history is not forgotten regardless of how painful it may be to remember. Such an inspirational celebration!
I love the idea of bringing back a tradition from such a terrible time to celebrate with and educate the younger generations. It’s nice to know that you know what happened to your ancestors, and that you can enjoy a holiday just like they used to. It’s also great that it is a learning experience, even if that’s not the goal, because I know very little about the history of my family, and it is a struggle to find any information about it that I can be sure is real. This holiday can be passed down forever and the history will never be lost. I think that’s beautiful.
This is my comment.