The Caribbean Islands hold hundreds of festivals, carnivals, and holiday celebrations every year. There are so many that some tourists ‘island hop’ for their vacation, so they can attend as many as possible, and some of them are so special they are festivals worth visiting the Caribbean for, as you’ll discover if you visit Caribbeans Best.
Junkanoo
Junkanoo is a festival in the Bahamas, held in the early hours of 26th December each year. For hours, family or community groups dance along the streets in some of the most colorful costumes imaginable. You have to forget sleeping that night, as the music and partying will keep you awake. That should not be a problem though as you will be out there joining in the fun. Of course, not everyone wants the crowds and noise of festivals, but if you do, to see all the best ones could take you months.
Pirates Week
Not all Caribbean festivals are over in one day. When the Cayman Islands celebrate the bloodthirsty thieves of the sea in mid-November, it lasts for a whole week. No one is made to walk the plank; Pirates Week is all good clean fun with competitions, parades, sporting events and food festivals. It starts in the George Town Harbour when locals dressed as pirates come ashore. On the last day, there is a Trial of The Pirates, a cardboard boat race, and the Street Dance Finale.
Crop Over
Barbados used to celebrate the end of the sugar production process when it was the most important sugar-producing island in the Caribbean. As the sugar industry declined, so did the festivities, and by the mid-1940’s it had stopped altogether. The Crop Over festival was revived in 1974 with several other elements of Barbados culture infused into it. The festival is an extravaganza of music, markets, parades, and shows that attract an audience from all over the globe. It lasts for five weeks, culminating in the crowning of the Crop Over King and Queen.
Reggae Sumfest
Reggae Sumfest is held in Montego Bay, Jamaica mid-July each year. Some of the best-known names in reggae will be on the stage, while the beach party goes on all around it. Lasting for a full week, it attracts music lovers from around the world. If you don’t think it is possible to be chilled and animated at the same time, Reggae Sumfest will prove you wrong. It is the largest musical festival in Jamaica and has only been running since 1993.
A Great Way To Have Fun
Festivals and carnivals can be a great way to have fun and to find out more about the local cultures. You usually get to try the traditional local food and drinks. Here, the local music and dances often have a historical significance. The costumes are generally very colorful, with some having huge headdresses that make you wonder how these heavy adornments are worn.
Some festivals are an event that you will never forget and are certainly worth visiting the Caribbean to be able to enjoy them.
