Colorful carnivals

When we were in New Orleans to see the Mardi Gras Carnival with our friends, the conversation turned from the antics of the revelers to their weird costumes and the beads that one collects. We talked about the yummy street food, the beer that flowed and the high spirits of the participants and the spectators. Monica and Tracy then told us about the carnivals that they had seen in the Caribbean in the Dominican Republic and in St. Martin before the start of Lent. .

Aruba has a lighting parade in Oranjestad in February before the Grand parade ahead of Ash Wednesday. Antigua’s carnival in July and August is a celebration of music and dance where troupes from the region can showcase their talent in competitions. St. Lucia, Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Vincent and the Grenadines have their own carnivals in the Caribbean that express the joie de vivre of their people.

We were in Santo Domingo the next year to see a typical Caribbean carnival. The costumes in a myriad of colors and shapes and the “devil” masks with dramatic horns and fangs worn by the revelers were a treat to watch. Crowds line the streets behind the barricades long before the start of the carnival. Cheers go up as the floats and the participating troupes from various regions and towns pass. Some of the towns along the coast had floats with a maritime theme. As the procession drew to a close, we noticed that several of the onlookers simply followed the carnival. We too joined the throngs on the street. As we tried to move along the jostling crowds, we were directed by the policemen controlling the crowd to a side street that would lead us to the head of the carnival. Taking the side street, we noticed little stalls selling food and drinks and even one or two selling handmade trinkets and masks. You bet I picked up two masks as souvenirs of our wonderful experience in a Caribbean carnival.