J'ouvert ( ) or Jour ouvert is a traditional festival known as "break day" or the unofficial start of Carnival, which takes place on the Monday before
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday is a holy day of prayer and fasting in many Western Christian denominations. It is preceded by Shrove Tuesday and falls on the first day of Lent (the six weeks of penitence before Easter). It is observed by Catholics in the Rom ...
. The festival, with origins in
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...
, traditionally begins at 2 a.m. and continues until mid-morning on Monday. J'Ouvert revellers cover their bodies in coloured paints, mud, pitch oil, dress as blue or red devils to dance the streets as an expression of liberation from the constraints of the past and in celebration of the ancestors who have gone before them. Other neighbouring islands (primarily in the
Lesser Antilles
The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...
), and in areas where Caribbean people have immigrated, celebrate J'ouvert before the official start of Carnival Mas, where the more elaborate costumes are on display and danced through the city streets.
''J'ouvert'' is a gallicization of ''jou ouvè'' (; ''jour ouvert'' in standard French), the French Creole term meaning "dawn" or "daybreak", as this is the time at which the celebration is typically held.
History
J'ouvert is celebrated in many countries throughout the Caribbean. It is believed to have its foundation in
Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of Gr ...
's Carnival history with roots steeped in the French Afro-Creole traditions such as Camboulay. J'ouvert is also a practice in many places outside the Caribbean as part of Carnival celebrations throughout the year, with the biggest celebrations happening in places around the world with large Caribbean
ex-pat
An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
communities. Traditionally, the celebration involves
calypso/
soca
Soca or SOCA may refer to:
Places
* Soča, a river in Slovenia and Italy
* Soča, Bovec, Slovenia
* Cayenne – Félix Eboué Airport, by ICAO code
* Soca, a village in Banloc Commune, Timiș County, Romania
* SoCa, Southern California
Other u ...
bands and their followers dancing through the streets. The
festival
A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
starts well before dawn and typically peaks by mid-morning.
Carnival was introduced to Trinidad by French colonials in 1783, a time of
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
. Banned from the
masquerade balls of the French, the enslaved people would stage their own mini-carnivals in their backyards — using their own
rituals
A ritual is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, actions, or objects, performed according to a set sequence. Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community. Rituals are characterized, ...
and
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
, but also imitating and sometimes mocking their masters' behavior at the
masquerade balls.
The origins of street parties associated with J'ouvert coincide with the
emancipation
Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchis ...
from
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
in 1838. Emancipation provided Africans with the opportunity not only to participate in Carnival, but to embrace it as an expression of their new-found freedom. Some theorize that some J'ouvert traditions are carried forward in remembrance of civil disturbances, known as the Camboulay Riots, in
Port of Spain
Port of Spain (Spanish: ''Puerto España''), officially the City of Port of Spain (also stylized Port-of-Spain), is the capital of Trinidad and Tobago and the third largest municipality, after Chaguanas and San Fernando. The city has a municip ...
, Trinidad, when the people smeared themselves with oil or paint to avoid being recognized.
The
traditions
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
of J'ouvert vary widely throughout the Caribbean. In
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...
and
Grenada
Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...
, a part of the tradition involves smearing paint, mud or oil on the bodies of participants. "
Jab Jabs" revellers are mostly recognized for covering their bodies in oil from head to toe.
In other countries, J'ouvert is celebrated on the first day of August (
Emancipation Day
Emancipation Day is observed in many former European colonies in the Caribbean and areas of the United States on various dates to commemorate the emancipation of slaves of African descent.
On August 1, 1985, Trinidad and Tobago became the fir ...
), and yet for other West Indian countries J'ouvert is observed the night before the daytime "Pretty Mas". Pretty Mas, a bright and festive version of the celebration, features colorful costumes which are often made of feathers, beads, gem stones, brightly coloured fabrics, glitter and other elaborate body adornments and is more popular while commercially publicized. J'ouvert uses the rebellious nature of powder, mud and oil, while Pretty Mas celebrates the abstract allure of glitter, colour and light.
J'ouvert can further be contrasted with Pretty Mas in that J'ouvert is said to be for "the people" while Pretty Mas is intended for the establishment.
See also
*
Trinidad Carnival
The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is an annual event held on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday in Trinidad and Tobago. This event is well known for participants' colorful costumes and exuberant celebrations. There are numerous cultural ev ...
*
Caribbean Carnival
Caribbean Carnival is the term used in the English speaking world for a series of events, held annually throughout almost the whole year in many Caribbean islands and worldwide.
The Caribbean's carnivals have several common themes, all originati ...
*
Lists of festivals in North America
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
References
External links
"Trinidad Carniva – The Greatest Show on EarthTrinidad Jouvert TriniInXisle.
{{Carnival around the world
Trinidad and Tobago culture
Caribbean culture
Carnivals
Carnivals in Anguilla
Carnivals in Antigua and Barbuda
Carnivals in Aruba
Carnivals in the Bahamas
Carnivals in the British Virgin Islands
Carnivals in Dominica
Carnivals in Grenada
Carnivals in Haiti
Carnivals in Jamaica
Carnivals in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Carnivals in Saint Lucia
Carnivals in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Carnivals in Sint Maarten
Carnivals in Trinidad and Tobago
Carnivals in the United States Virgin Islands
Folk festivals in Dominica
Folk festivals in Grenada
Folk festivals in Antigua and Barbuda
Folk festivals in the Bahamas
Folk festivals in Haiti
Folk festivals in Jamaica
Folk festivals in Saint Kitts and Nevis
Folk festivals in Saint Lucia
Folk festivals in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Folk festivals in Trinidad and Tobago