Jonkanoo

This article is about the Jamaican festival. For the Bahamian festival, see Junkanoo.

Jonkanoo (also spelled Jonkonnu or John Canoe) is a masquerade festival/parade from The Bahamas, believed to be of West African origin. It is traditionally performed through the streets during the Christmas period, and involves participants dressed in a variety of fanciful costumes, such as the Cow Head, the Hobby Horse, the Wild Indian, and the Devil (Satan). The parade is accompanied by a band consisting of fife, drums, and a coconut grater used as a scraper, and jonkanoo songs are also sung. There is also a Jonkanoo pepper sauce, described as "a carnival of red hot peppers blended with scallions, onions, thyme and garlic.Kingston, Jamaica (November 29, 2004) – The Christmas season in Jamaica is the most festive time of year, filled with non-stop celebrations, special treats, entertainment, parties, festivals, and happy gatherings of friends and family. Although the island has never seen snow and its houses do not have chimneys, Santa Claus and his gifts are very much a part of Jamaica’s tradition, as are Christmas carols, such as “Oh Holy Night” and “Silent Night” - some can even be found in a reggae version.

During Jonkanoo (or John Canoe), a traditional Christmas celebration, revelers parade through the streets dressed in colorful masquerade costumes. Traditionally, men wearing white-mesh masks play the characters, which include the horned cow head, policeman, horse head, wild Indian, devil, belly-woman, pitchy-patchy, and sometimes a bride and house head, which was an image of a great house carried by the reveler on his head.

The parade and festivities probably arrived with African slaves. Although Jamaica is credited with the longest running tradition of Jonkanoo, today these mysterious bands with their gigantic costumes appear more as entertainment at cultural events than at random along the streets. Not as popular in the cities as it was 30 years ago, Jonkanoo is still a tradition in rural Jamaica.

The Grand Market (or Gran’ Market) is a community fair characterized by food, street dancing, crafts, and music. In the past, the weekend before Christmas and particularly on Christmas Eve, markets all over the island were set up with vendors selling small toys, firecrackers, balloons, and sweets of all kinds, including pinda (an African word for peanut) cakes, grater cakes, and peppermint sticks.

Traditionally on Christmas Eve some markets were decorated with streamers, large accordion-style bells, and balloons. People were decked out in fancy clothes, including bright hats purchased upon entering the Grand Market. Everyone came to town for Grand Market and the celebrations lasted throughout the day and night.

The Christmas season, which runs from mid-December to New Year’s Day, is usually the biggest family event of the year. Jamaicans celebrate by going to church, exchanging gifts with their families, and gathering for a large meal. Dinner on Christmas Day, the biggest feast for Jamaicans, includes chicken, oxtail, curry goat, roast ham, and rice and gungo peas. (Gungo peas, a Christmas specialty for Jamaica, usually ripen in December. Throughout the rest of the year cooks use red peas with the rice.) Jamaicans also prepare roast beef and/or pork as well. Another holiday specialty is Jamaican-style Christmas cake made of fruit soaked in rum.

The drink of choice for Jamaicans during the Christmas season is sorrel. Made from dried sorrel (a meadow plant), cinnamon, cloves, ginger, sugar, orange peel, and rum, the beverage is usually served over ice.

Try these recipes from Jamaicans.com to give your Christmas a Jamaican flare. "

Films

• 1984 - Caribbean Crucible. From Repercussions: A Celebration of African-American Music series, program 6. Directed by Dennis Marks and Geoffrey Haydon.
• 1990 - Before Reggae Hit the Town. Directed by Mark Gorneyds.

External links

• Article about jonkanoo

See also

• Jonkonnu parades
• Junkanoo Bahamas[[Category:Winter forkfore