Why do they celebrate Junkanoo?

Junkanoo is a Bahamian cultural celebration that includes dance, music, spirituality, and a celebration of freedom. In its purest form, it was how the slaves expressed jubilation from the their lives of captivity. Junkanoo was originally celebrated in the evenings, after the slave owners had gone to bed.

What is Bahamian Junkanoo?

Junkanoo, named after the West African John Canoe Festival, originated in the Bahamas around the 17th century as a masquerade. Slaves with their faces hidden under a flour paste, celebrated on Boxing Day and the day after Christmas. Today, as a cultural expression, Junkanoo is highly revered.

Which countries celebrate Junkanoo?

Where to experience Junkanoo? Junkanoo celebrations today occur only on the Islands of The Bahamas. The street parades are held in downtown Nassau on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. However smaller celebrations occur on other islands including the Abacos, the Exumas, Harbour Island, and Grand Bahama.

What is the origin of Jonkonnu?

Jonkonnu, (pronounced John Canoe) is an African American holiday celebration whose roots can be traced back to Jamaica and to the slave ships from West Africa. Historical records mention celebrations of Jonkonnu taking place near Edenton, N.C., as early as 1824.

What was the origin of the Jankunu dance?

Research shows that the Jankunu has its roots in male secret societies of West Africa, Poro and Egungun, source of the bulk of slaves uprooted by the British and forcibly transported to British Honduras to fuel their exploitation of the country’s vast natural resources.

Who are the Jankunu and the Garifuna?

The Jankunu is part of the Creole and Garifuna cultures. The Creoles are direct descendants of British slaves. The Garifuna who were never enslaved and resisted British domination to the bitter end are a distinct ethnic group with their own language and culture.

Who was the leader of the Junkanoo band?

Essentially, it involved a band of black men—generally young—who dressed themselves in ornate and often bizarre costumes. Each band was led by a man who was variously dressed in animal horns, elaborate rags, female disguise, whiteface (and wearing a gentleman’s wig!), or simply his “Sunday-go-to-meeting-suit.”