Traditions & Celebrations

Many celebrations are observed in St. Kitts and Nevis.  The biggest ones are the Culturama Emancipation Festival in Nevis in August, and Sugar Mas in December-January on St. Kitts.  For both celebrations, people dress in colorful costumes and there is a parade.  Yesterday’s video showed some of the traditional costumed troupes including the Bull, and today’s video shows Masquerades, Clowns, Mokojumbies (stilt-walkers) and Mummies. Other performances include “actors” (acrobats), and musicians play “quelbe music” on the big drum, fife, triangle and other instruments.

The story of the Bull remains a popular sport among children and adults. In this performance, a sugar estate manager gives estate workers a young bull to train. The bull is not quite under control and attempts to attack the workers. In fear, one of the workers stabs the bull. Afraid that he has killed the bull and will have to face the manager with this news, the worker calls the vet. The vet brings along a police officer and visits the estate. The vet is able to treat the bull – it survives and it rears up again ferociously. At this point in the street performance, the bull dashes into the crowd, pretending to attack onlookers while the various performers play at making attempts to restrain it. Find more information about these traditional performances at Historic St. Kitts-Christmas Sports.
Traditional food and drink is made during December, like black (fruit) cake, and sorrel drink.

Sorrel is one of many locally grown plants.  It is used to make a delicious drink. We will learn more about plant life on St. Kitts and Nevis in Module 3. You can stop the video at 3:27.

Talk About:

• Talk about the celebrations your family enjoys.
• What are the things you do for these celebrations?
• How are these similar or different from the traditions and celebrations of St. Kitts and Nevis that we learned about today?