I've Been to Nearly Every Caribbean Carnival-and These Are My Favorite Celebrations

"Covered in paint, powder, sweat, and splashes of rum, I've gotten the closest I'll ever get to completely letting go (no small feat for an adult) at Carnival celebrations in the Caribbean. I've looked into crowds of thousands of people and seen that I'm not the only one experiencing this infinitude of joy, buoyed by music, dancing, and chants-and I've learned this senseof freedom is deliberate, having been passed on and preserved for generations."

"Carnival in the Caribbean is a longstanding tradition rooted in Black rebellion. In 18th-century Trinidad, enslaved Africans who were not allowed to participate in the pre-Lenten traditions of masquerade balls by European colonizers created their own celebrations of defiance. Caribbean people have always proudly crafted costumes, attended lively music and color-filled costume competitions, and produced the sounds of soca-the calypso-derived soundtrack of Carnival that combines East Indian and African instrumentation."

Carnival evokes steady anticipation and transports participants to electric moments across Trinidad, Barbados, Grenada, Anguilla, and Notting Hill. Sensory details include paint, powder, sweat, splashes of rum, music, dancing, and chants that produce collective joy and release. Carnival has roots in Black rebellion: enslaved Africans in 18th-century Trinidad created their own masquerade traditions as acts of defiance. Carnival features handcrafted costumes, color-filled competitions, and soca music blending East Indian and African instrumentation. Iconic elements include Grenada’s Jab Jab, Port of Spain’s feathered parades, and Barbados’s Pic-O-De-Crop calypso contests, connecting diasporic communities and preserving cultural legacy.

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