and thenceforth celebrated on Republic Day . Later , the government eagerly resurrected the carnival in 2016 to commemorate the 50th Independence Anniversary . Guyana Carnival continued in 2017 , 2018 and 2019 , with government support but led by the private sector . Today , history appears to be repeating itself as the government
has rebranded Guyana Carnival to Cricket Carnival , aiming to make it a tradition , like Mashramani . Nevertheless , good intentions , creative branding , and cheerful optimism can never drown the fact that all these festivals are imitations of the wildly popular Trinidad Carnival .
Guyana has long tried to make carnival its own , and if not , at least create a festival with a distinct Guyanese flavour . Some critics may worry that the sudden emphasis on carnival would mean routine neglect for Mashramani .
Consequently , the President and his ministers ’ confident proclamations about Cricket Carnival 2022 have locked Guyana in a proverbial interrogation room .
The spotlight is shining on an entire nation . Simultaneously , the two-way mirror presents two significant possibilities : first , a chance for Guyana to reflect on its cultural identity and second , to display its culture to the observing world .
12 | TOURISM GUYANA 2022