Comin ’’
WE
By Paloma Pratt , 10th Grade Student and Junkanooer
Junkanoo is a festival that is celebrated in The Bahamas , Belize , Jamaica , The Turks and Caicos Islands , St . Vincent and in South Florida . Junkanoo is a cultural performance incorporating multiple art forms such as sculpting , costume design , music and dance . Each component of Junkanoo may be performed and displayed individually or all together as a group . The most exciting , colorful and dramatic expression of Junkanoo is during the annual parades that occur twice a year in The Bahamas on Boxing Day and New Year ’ s Day .
Junkanoo is an important part of Bahamian culture because it expresses and explains our historic background . While its origin is not precisely documented , it is believed that the festival originated in West Africa and was brought to the New World by slaves in the 18th and early 19th centuries . This celebration was essentially a festival for the oppressed . When the emancipation of slaves in the British colonies occurred in 1834 , Junkanoo had become a part of the Bahamian Christmas tradition and a source of amusement . Around the 1890s , Junkanoo became a social tool for voicing the concerns of the black population as well as a celebratory festival . These traditions continue today with citizens ,
expats , tourists , children and adults participating in and witnessing this extraordinary community event .
Under the guidance of the National Junkanoo Committee , the festival is preserved for tomorrow through the Junior Junkanoo Competitions in schools . “ I think participating in Junior Junkanoo is a nice way to celebrate Bahamian culture within the school ,” said Grade 10 student and trumpet player , Shannon O ’ Meara . “ It ’ s great that we have the chance to see the other schools participate so that we can learn from them . All the parents and teachers , even though they may not participate , support us by donating and spending time creating our costumes .”
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In December 2013 , LCIS had the opportunity to participate in this festival for the first time . With skilled leadership , community support and a little bit of beginner ’ s luck , LCIS won the competition with the theme “ We Need Peace .” A year later , LCIS has gained even more support from both parents and teachers alike for the annual parade . Under the leadership of the Music Department , students returned to the track as a circus group under the theme of “ Can ’ t Tame the Dragons .” While the win eluded the group in 2014 , participation strengthened the school community and its resolve to win the 2015 parade . As they say in Junkanoo , “ We comin ’.”