On Christmas night when most people are looking to snooze off the effects of too much turkey and Christmas pudding, Bahamians are donning extravagant costumes and arming themselves with whistles, goatskin drums and anything else they can lay their hands on.
Bed is the last thing on their minds, because the island’s famous annual carnival celebration, Junkanoo, kicks off in the middle of the night – normally lasting from 2am until 10am on Boxing Day – with exuberant parades, partying and music.
Revellers in colourful costumes gyrate through the streets making a crazy cacophony of noise with whistles, horns, goatskin drums, cowbells and anything else to hand.
In the early hours of New Year’s Day – the whole process happens again – and so starts the Caribbean party season of the New Year as it builds to the climatic Trinidad Carnival in February and continues with various celebrations across the islands over the following twelve months. There’s no time to rest!
