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The Junkanoo Festival

Our expert Bahamas

Rooksana Hossenally Section editor

Travel is my driving force in life, and although I have had the privilege of visiting 30 countries so far, my heart will always remain in India...

The Junkanoo Festival

Junkanoo Festival Junkanoo is celebrated all over the Bahamas and especially in Nassau. © Terrance Strachan, Bahamas Tourist Office

This carnival is well named: it is a real festival! It takes place at the end of December over all the islands in the Bahamas. It is named after John Canoe, an African chief with an English name. Initially a slave, he amused himself by imitating the British colonists with characters in papier-mâché. This event is the opportunity for a superb party in the greatest African tradition. Dancers dressed up from head to toe parade through the streets, accompanied by bells and whistles, to the rhythm of the drums.
Due to the success of this carnival, in 2006 the Bahamas decided to hold another in the summer: The Junkanoo Summer Festival. This takes places every week-end in June, July and August.