IT’S CARNIVAL
TIME!
Carnival started in the 18th century. In
1783 the French developed a season of
festivities lasting from Christmas to ash
Wednesday. During this season they
would have masquerade balls, hunt-
ing parties, concerts and dinners. The
west African free slaves had their own
traditions during this season and held
festivities around the burning and har-
vesting of sugarcane. The emancipation
took place in 1838 and the west Africans
brought their own traditions and festiv-
ities into the season. They introduced
Canboulay into the season, this would
take place the Sunday before carnival,
it became a symbol of freedom for the
West Africans. The British tried to ban
masquerades, steel pans. Stick fighting
and drumming. Carnival was original-
ly a whole season starting from the day
after Christmas until Ash Wednesday
and the main events covered 3 days
on the streets however the upper class
complained about the low standards of
carnival and immorality and restricted
the street celebrations to Monday and
Tuesday. Although Trinidad is known as
the home of carnival it was a celebration
adopted by the french who brought their
traditions with them when they settled
in Trinidad.