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St. Maarten Carnival: Celebrations, Costumes, Masks And Prizes
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Published: March 16, 2007
For a tiny island in the Caribbean, St. Maarten hosts quite a large, boisterous Carnival party. Countries all around the world host Carnival festivals, but few can provide the reveler with the magnificent backdrop of a Caribbean get away. St Maarten combines its Colonial history with its Caribbean roots to produce a festival of unrivaled flare and hospitality. What makes St. Maarten Carnival truly stand out is that it doesn't simply celebrate one Carnival, but rather, it hosts two distinct festivals.
St. Maarten is the smallest occupied landmass in the world that is partitioned by two countries. The French occupy the northern and larger half of the St. Maarten, while the southern half is under the jurisdiction of the Dutch. St. Maarten, like many other Caribbean islands, was continually subject to the wars between the Colonial powers. Consequently, much of the native population died as a result of these wars. In 1648, the Dutch and the French agreed to divide the island between the two powers. Today, St. Maarten Island allows the culture of its Colonial heritage to delight the estimated one million tourists that visit each year.
Between the two St. Maarten Carnival celebrations, the festival on the Dutch territory is the more extravagant and coordinated effort. The St. Maarten Carnival celebration in the French territory takes place during Lent and ends on Ash Wednesday. What makes the Dutch St. Maarten Carnival more appealing—apart from its grandeur and longevity—is the time of year in which it takes place. Unlike the French St. Maarten Carnival in February, the Dutch St. Maarten Carnival begins on April 21st, at about the same time airfare and hotel rates begin to drop for the summer season.
But what makes the St. Maarten Carnival in the Dutch territory superior to the more traditional celebration of French St. Maarten Carnival? Well, it's longer—meaning more nights of partying and eating until sunrise. The Dutch St. Maarten Carnival is also a much more coordinated effort and it quickly becomes obvious that the size and organization results in an extravagant festival rivaling anything in the Caribbean. The St. Maarten Carnival is known for its opulent parades, splendid masks, and music contests.
The St. Maarten Carnival begins on April 21st in the Carnival village—an erected center in the capitol Philipsburg. The festival opens up with a contest for the King and Queen title and is followed by the Jouvert Jam. The Jouvert Jam is a musical parade in which thousands of locals wearing lavish carnival masks and tourists alike follow their band of choice as they march through the night around the Salt Pond. The goal of the Jouvert Jam is to attract as many revelers possible; the band with the most followers—after several hours of marching—wins. Just think of a mobile Caribbean concert with booths selling food and booze along the way and one might begin to understand what makes this festival such a delight.
Although the Jouvert Jam is one of the most popular events of the St. Maarten Carnival celebrations, it's really just the beginning. The Jouvert Jam is followed by the grand parade and 15 days of perpetual partying and carnival celebrations. Other highlights of the St. Maarten Carnival include: multiple nights of top-notch reggae acts, youth parades, senior parades, carnival costumes, and hundreds of booths selling local dishes. The territory becomes one large party, engulfing people from all ages and nationalities. Throughout the St. Maarten Carnival festivities there are multiple pageants and contents where participants can win carnival prizes.
The St. Maarten Carnival is the perfect opportunity to let the constraints of everyday life slip away and indulge oneself with music, drinks, and food. Some travelers have even surprised themselves by winning coveted carnival prizes through participation in one of the many dance and costume contests. St. Maarten is the perfect environment and provides the reveler with the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean to wash away the problems and worries of his or her everyday life. Why not wear a carnival mask and become a new, outlandish person throughout the festival?
Sources:
St.Maarten Carnival. St. Maarten Carnival Foundtion. 2007. 11 Mar. 2007. <http://www.stmaartencarnival.com/>.
St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. 2007. 11 Mar. 2007. <http://www.st-maarten.com/culture.htm>.
Labega, Erno. “ St. Maarten Carnival, April 22-May 3: 'Millenium Mass with Class.'” The Washington Times. 22 Mar. 2000. News World Communication, Inc. 11 Mar. 2007 <http://www.internationalspecialreports.com/arc hives/00/stmaarten/19.html>.
St. Maarten is the smallest occupied landmass in the world that is partitioned by two countries. The French occupy the northern and larger half of the St. Maarten, while the southern half is under the jurisdiction of the Dutch. St. Maarten, like many other Caribbean islands, was continually subject to the wars between the Colonial powers. Consequently, much of the native population died as a result of these wars. In 1648, the Dutch and the French agreed to divide the island between the two powers. Today, St. Maarten Island allows the culture of its Colonial heritage to delight the estimated one million tourists that visit each year.
Between the two St. Maarten Carnival celebrations, the festival on the Dutch territory is the more extravagant and coordinated effort. The St. Maarten Carnival celebration in the French territory takes place during Lent and ends on Ash Wednesday. What makes the Dutch St. Maarten Carnival more appealing—apart from its grandeur and longevity—is the time of year in which it takes place. Unlike the French St. Maarten Carnival in February, the Dutch St. Maarten Carnival begins on April 21st, at about the same time airfare and hotel rates begin to drop for the summer season.
But what makes the St. Maarten Carnival in the Dutch territory superior to the more traditional celebration of French St. Maarten Carnival? Well, it's longer—meaning more nights of partying and eating until sunrise. The Dutch St. Maarten Carnival is also a much more coordinated effort and it quickly becomes obvious that the size and organization results in an extravagant festival rivaling anything in the Caribbean. The St. Maarten Carnival is known for its opulent parades, splendid masks, and music contests.
The St. Maarten Carnival begins on April 21st in the Carnival village—an erected center in the capitol Philipsburg. The festival opens up with a contest for the King and Queen title and is followed by the Jouvert Jam. The Jouvert Jam is a musical parade in which thousands of locals wearing lavish carnival masks and tourists alike follow their band of choice as they march through the night around the Salt Pond. The goal of the Jouvert Jam is to attract as many revelers possible; the band with the most followers—after several hours of marching—wins. Just think of a mobile Caribbean concert with booths selling food and booze along the way and one might begin to understand what makes this festival such a delight.
Although the Jouvert Jam is one of the most popular events of the St. Maarten Carnival celebrations, it's really just the beginning. The Jouvert Jam is followed by the grand parade and 15 days of perpetual partying and carnival celebrations. Other highlights of the St. Maarten Carnival include: multiple nights of top-notch reggae acts, youth parades, senior parades, carnival costumes, and hundreds of booths selling local dishes. The territory becomes one large party, engulfing people from all ages and nationalities. Throughout the St. Maarten Carnival festivities there are multiple pageants and contents where participants can win carnival prizes.
The St. Maarten Carnival is the perfect opportunity to let the constraints of everyday life slip away and indulge oneself with music, drinks, and food. Some travelers have even surprised themselves by winning coveted carnival prizes through participation in one of the many dance and costume contests. St. Maarten is the perfect environment and provides the reveler with the warm, clear waters of the Caribbean to wash away the problems and worries of his or her everyday life. Why not wear a carnival mask and become a new, outlandish person throughout the festival?
Sources:
St.Maarten Carnival. St. Maarten Carnival Foundtion. 2007. 11 Mar. 2007. <http://www.stmaartencarnival.com/>.
St. Maarten Tourist Bureau. 2007. 11 Mar. 2007. <http://www.st-maarten.com/culture.htm>.
Labega, Erno. “ St. Maarten Carnival, April 22-May 3: 'Millenium Mass with Class.'” The Washington Times. 22 Mar. 2000. News World Communication, Inc. 11 Mar. 2007 <http://www.internationalspecialreports.com/arc hives/00/stmaarten/19.html>.
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