Nevis Culturama
The Nevis Culturama Festival is an annual celebration of Nevisian heritage, identity, and the emancipation of enslaved Africans. Typically held from late July into early August, it is a vibrant showcase of Caribbean culture featuring music, parades, pageants, and traditional folk arts.
Antigua Carnival
Grenada Spicemas
Dominica Carnival
St. Vincent Vincy Mas
St. Kitts Sugar Mas
Sweet To The Core
Sugar Mas is the affectionate name given to the St. Kitts and Nevis National Carnival, a festive celebration that blends Caribbean culture with the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. It is a vibrant, weeks-long event featuring music, parades, and elaborate masquerade costumes.
Etymology
The name “Sugar Mas” comes from two distinct parts:
- “Sugar”: A nod to the island’s history, where sugar cane was a foundational crop.
- “Mas”: A short form of “masquerade,” referring to the traditional costumes worn by revelers during the carnival’s parades.
Key events and attractions
The carnival is not a single event but a series of festivities that draw both locals and international visitors. Major events include:
- J’ouvert Morning: A sunrise street party where revelers dance through the streets, often covered in paint or mud.
- Grand Parade: The main event, featuring Mas bands in spectacular, brightly colored costumes adorned with feathers and beads. The parades are accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of calypso and soca music.
- Last Lap: The final day of the carnival, where participants hit the streets for one last round of celebratory dancing.
- Music Competitions: Showcase local musical talent through events like the Calypso and Soca Monarch competitions.
- Pageants and Fêtes: The festivities also include beauty pageants, such as the National Carnival Queen Pageant, and numerous private parties, known as fêtes.
A unique holiday season event
While many Caribbean carnivals are held before Lent, Sugar Mas is unique for taking place during the Christmas and New Year holidays, from mid-December to early January. This timing fills the holiday season with a unique combination of traditional Christmas cheer and high-energy Caribbean cultural expression.