Woye, Ah Wotless! You Know You’re Caribbean When… - Page 12

  You played Mas

As some of you know via Rihanna, playing mas looks like a group of people enjoying “whining up” (yeah, I’m testing you)  on each other.  Carnival was brought to the Caribbean and South America through colonialism. It initially began in the European country, Italy. During the season of Lent, Catholics would fast from meat and the day before Lent began, Catholics would hold a costume festival. They named the festival, carnevale which means “to put away the meat.” In a religious context “the meat” symbolically means “the flesh.” The carnivals in Italy became so popular, they spread to other countries such as England, Portugal, Spain and France. Materials of the mas costume stem from African traditions. For example,  feathers were used by Africans on  masks and headdresses to define how humans are able to rise above their problems through a spiritual rebirth.

Now before you leave to “get on bad” (have a good time), drop a comment on other things that make you Caribbean.