Junkanoo and Junkanoo Carnival, Bahamas

Photo by Damon On Road on Unsplash

Every year, the Junkanoo festival is celebrated with two magnificent parades on Boxing Day (December 26th) and New Year’s Day. Thousands of Nassau residents dance in the streets in multiple dancing parades in response to the Maranga drums’ incredible excitement and pace. The Junkanoo parade in Nassau, which James Bond witnessed in Thunderball, has been an important part of the Bahamas’ culture for generations. Some claim it’s been celebrated for almost 500 years on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day, while others say it started in the 1700s when slaves were given a Christmas break and established the practice of masked, costumed, musical celebration in the streets.

It’s now a tremendously thrilling visual feast that starts at 2 a.m. and lasts until 10 a.m. when up to 1,000 people dress up in crepe paper, feather, and cardboard costumes and masks. Dance into the streets with their handmade goatskin drums, cowbells, and rake-and-scrape percussion instruments. It’s a spectacular show that entices partygoers to dance the night away; smaller versions may be seen in Bimini, Grand Bahama Island, and the Exumas and Abacos islands.

The Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival is a spin-off of the original songs festival, which has grown to be the most popular spring event. The final phases of the Music Masters competition begin in late April on Grand Bahama Island and conclude in Nassau the first weekend in May at Da Cultural Village, a huge outdoor arena packed with food, crafts stalls, and late-night performances. Local bands compete for the title of champion, while worldwide giants such as Wyclef Jean perform at the Music Masters spectacular on Friday night. On Saturday, Road Fever takes over the streets with a mile-long procession of costumed dancers and musicians, followed by an all-night performance.