Carnival in Martinique

Lucie S, 2nde 4

      Last month, we enjoyed Carnival. Martinique has the most original and popular carnival in the world. Indeed, in spite of the presence of associations and organized groups, everybody can participate : the atmosphere is so good and hot that it is not rare to just come and look at the parade and get into the carnival to have fun. We used to take what we found home to make a carnival costume. But today, fancy dresses are more modern : fluorescent hats, suspenders, silvered tights, sequined suits can be bought at Haitian traders.

      There are elections of kings and queens of carnival in several towns and high schools. Every Sunday for one month preceding Shrove Tuesday week, people dance and jump in the streets on rhythms of drum bands and sound systems on trucks. Primary schools have their big parade in the streets on the last day of school before carnival week. Parents love to admire their 6 to 10-year-olds singing and dancing with their schoolfriends wearing their best fancy-dresses watched by their teachers also wearing carnival costumes.

      In the traditional popular parades, we see characters such as 'Marianne-Lapo-Fig' (people completely hidden under masses of dried banana leaves), 'Neg-gwo-siwo' (characters symbolizing slavery time, covered with a mixture of sugar cane syrup and crushed coal ), red devils (inspired by African masks). Some of them are so impressive that they scare the crowd off.

Every year, a huge 'dummy' called 'Vaval', the Carnival king,  is driven on a truck ahead of the parade and portrays the caricature of a recent issue in society or politics.  During this carnival, it was a mosquito which has been the cause of a bad flu in the region. He is burnt on Ash Wednesday, marking the end of Carnival.

Océane B, 2nde 2

      Carnival is a tradition in Martinique and the West Indies. The population loves it : they can dance and wear funny costumes,... The three main days of the final Carnival week are Monday with funny mock weddings where men are dressed as women and women as men. On Shrove Tuesday, you have to wear red even if you just watch the parade. Ash Wednesday is a sad day representing the end and the death of the king  of carnival (the dummy); so you must put black and white clothes on (mourning colours). 

      There are a lot of parades : the best one is in Fort-de-France, the capital of Martinique. In each little town, there is at least one carnival group performing with drums and other instruments. 

      Carnival is the best holiday of the year.

Anemone , Astrid 2nde 3

Carnival is a tradition that takes place during one week each year.

Each group during the carnival parade are in the streets with different costumes and different themes .

During this period a lot of tourists come to visit the capital and its various products.

The last carnival day we burn the carnival king on the " Malecon".

The giant mosquito in the parade at night.

Alexandra, 2nde 3
I did't celebrate carnival because I don't like these holiday. I think that celebration is bad. I don't
dress up for carnival. This year, I wore a black skirt and a pink pullover, to be different from other
people. I think fancy dresses are silly.

The mosquito burning on ash Wednesday this year.