Happy Carnival Trinidad & Tobago!
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is a two-day celebration that is held the Monday and Tuesday before the beginning of Lent.
The preparations begin up to 8 months in advance - costume designers, dancers and calypso bands even spend the whole year planning.
It's also known for showcasing amazing Caribbean music like soca and steelpan bands.
The carnival is famous for being a sunny rum-soaked celebration, so arm yourself with feathers, whistles and LOTS OF RUM to celebrate one of the world’s largest carnivals! 🌞🥃
It's full of vibrant, colourful parades and costumes and is at the heart of Caribbean musical creativity. You can hear booming rapso (a mixture of calypso and rap) or the latest variation on soca.
Check out this video of the last Carnival in 2020!
The History of Carnival
Carnivals as we know them today began in the 18th century when the French colonials brought masquerade balls called fetes. Enslaved Africans were not allowed to attend these celebrations so they held their own parties called canboulay. During canboulay celebrations, enslaved Africans would mock the behaviour and outfits of those at masquerade balls, which led to the creation of the ‘Mas’.
‘Playing Mas’ means to join in! When celebrating carnival in Trinidad and Tobago, you can either be a spectator of the parades or you can join in.
If you want to join in and celebrate carnival from home, why not try recreating our delicious Reggae Rum Punch to kick off the party?
