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What countries come to mind when you hear the word “Carnival”? Trinidad? Jamaica? Brazil? Those three countries are definitely at the top of the carnival list on the map, but the annual celebration takes place on islands throughout the Caribbean, as well in countries in both Central and South America. A festive time filled with flag waving, wining, steel-pan music, calypso, soca, colorful costumes and decorated floats, each country has their own Carnival traditions and celebrates in ways that speak to their respective cultures and folklore.
Carnival festivities typically take place during the Lenten season, culminating in Carnival on the Monday or Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, but many countries celebrate during other seasons. Months of preparation typically culminate in a month’s worth of festivities. The only standard rule, no matter where you celebrate carnival? Go hard or go home. So the next time you hear about Carnival (or plan on attending) think outside of the box and think of the following countries as well.
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Grenada
Grenada, a.k.a. the Spice Isle, celebrates Carnival with a wide range of activities, including Soca Monarch, a children’s carnival and J’Ouvert morning Jab Jab fun. This year, Grenada’s carnival takes place on August 8 and 9.
Aruba
Aruba’s Carnival culminates in a Grand Parade in the capital of Oranjestad. Parade rituals include burning the effigy King Momo, which symbolizes the end of Carnival and beginning of Lent. And unique to Aruba (as well as Curacao) is tumba music, which you’ll hear plenty of during carnival season.
St. Kitts
Carnival season in St. Kitts begins during the Christmas holiday and culminates on New Year’s Day. Known as Sugar Mas, the carnival incorporates folkloric traditions including The Clown troupe, masquerades, mummies and stilt walkers known as Moko-Jumbies.
Bahamas
Junkanoo festival in the Bahamas kicks off on Boxing Day. A time filled with parties and parades, Junkanoo culminates on New Year’s Day. There’s also a summertime Junkanoo during the months of June and July.
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St. Lucia
Carnival festivities in St. Lucia began on May 1 this year and will end on July 19. Like many other Caribbean countries, their colorful, music-filled Carnival is a nod to the country’s African roots as well as its Catholic heritage. Carnival used to take place during the Lenten season but was moved to eliminate competition with Trinidad and Tobago’s popular Carnival, and to accommodate booming tourism.
Haiti
Kanaval celebrations in Haiti begin in January and end on Mardi Gras. Some of the traditional costumes include Chaloska for men (similar to Jab Jabs) and Choukoun for women, who dress in head wraps and brightly colored clothes.
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Dominica
Jump up in Dominica occurred on Feb 8 and 9 this year. Pre-lenten Carnival ceremonies in Dominica include a showdown mas, a pageant for carnival queen and street jams. There’s also Vaval, where an effigy that represents the spirit of Carnival is burned in several villages on Ash Wednesday.
Antigua
Antigua celebrates Carnival in July and August. Bands go around the island, visiting big and small locales, to bring music to the masses. It all ends with a final bang in the capital of St. John’s.
Dominican Republic
Carnival (or Carnaval) is celebrated throughout the Dominican Republic, but the Grand Parade takes place in Santo Domingo. El diablo cojuelo costumers parade around wearing mirrors, horns, and rattles.
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Martinique
Like many other islands, Martinique’s Carnival takes place during the season of Lent. Some of the traditional costumes you’ll see on this island include the mariann lapofig (people dressed in banana leaves), moko zombies and guiablesses.
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Guyana
Mashramani, or Mash, is Guyana’s version of Carnival. It is typically celebrated with a different theme from year to year and coincides with the observance of the day that Guyana became a republic on February 23, 1970.
St. Maarten
From April to May, you can experience Carnival in St. Maarten. Carnival Village is filled with booths for festival-goers to sample cuisine from the various nationalities that call St. Maarten home.
Puerto Rico
A highlight of Puerto Rico’s carnival, which culminates on Fat Tuesday, is the vejigantes, colorfully dressed devils who parade through the streets.
