Carnival has come and gone for most of the regions of the World. Trinidad and Brazil and most of the nations that have their carnival celebration fixed to the Catholic calender have already experienced the revelry of King Carnival with spectacular costumes and songs to make the nation jump and wave. However, having said that not every country has experienced the joy and jubilation that comes every year to those whom are fortunate to experience this joyous revelry.
Barbados and St. Vincent have removed the religious yoke that ties the Carnival to short and 'long' seasons. However, the dates that these islands have chosen make complete financial sense. The people who make a living from the carnival festivities have adequate time to plan and take advantage of the fixed carnival dates. I have attached the calender of events for the 2010 Carnival celebration that will take place in St. Vincent and an article from socafreak.com about the history of St. Vincent Carnival. I hope you take advantage of the information because we are one caribbean people and must learn to support each other's development.
St Vincent Carnival or Vincy Mas began as far back as the 1890s and was celebrated the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. This was a time to throw away inhibitions and "free-up" before the commencement of Lent. The Catholic Lent is a period of fasting in which Catholics refrain from loud behaviour and sinful indulgences.
In 1976 a decision was taken by the CDC (Carnival Development Committee) to change the date for carnival from February/March to June/July starting the following year. To this day Vincy Carnival is held in June/July.
Vincy Mas like other West Indian carnivals is a mixture of African culture, European tradition, and Caribbean and local folk lore. It's a season when the general populace joins in the celebration of Vincentian talent, artistry and craft in a variety of forms. These include steel pan music, soca, calypso, and masquerade.
Vincy carnival is now much more than just a cultural event but a major economic activity. It attracts thousands of tourists to the island, as well as overseas based Vincentians. Vincy Mas has become a major money earner for the country.
Major highlights include The Miss Carival Show which is a leading Caribbean beauty pageant. Then there's the much anticipated Mardi Gras Parade of the Bands where Masquerade Bands compete for Band of the year. The Dimanche Gras Show highlights the finals of the National Calypso Monarch Competition, King and Queen of Carnival and Panorama. The Soca Monarch Competition in Victoria Park is another major attraction. For the children, there's the ever popular Junior Carnival, Junior Calypso, Junior Soca Monarch and Junior Panorama.
If you want to come to Vincy Land at a time when there are shows galore and lots of excitement, trust me, there's no better time than Vincy Mas 2010.
Information Source:
Calender Source:Information Source:
http://www.carnivalsvg.com/
