What are the carnival festivals?
Haitians are enthusiastic about the coming carnival celebration, following the cancellation of their previous festivals. The celebrations will commence from 23th to 25th February. Carnival celebrations are festivals that occur before lent. During this festival, the enthusiasts dress in colored garments and masks and march in parades. These parades contain elements of circus and street parties. However, this year Mardi grasi events are perceived as controversial in the Caribbean state. The country is struggling with insecurity, political crises, and kidnappings.
These celebrations are much expected among the Haitians. It’s during such festivals they show off their skills and make money. Such that, the funds from the celebrations are used in developing the country. The carnival festival involves thorough preparations. It is among the intense moments for dressmakers and dance rehearsals. For instance, rehearsals have been ongoing in port au prince, the Haitian capital, for the 2020 carnival celebration.
Why are the Haitians so glued to carnival celebrations?
One of the carnival enthusiasts, Pierre, said that the Mardi grasi events not only aid in the country’s economy but also provide an opportunity to think about the future. It enlightens people to engage in early preparations for the celebrations. There is an opportunity to improve on infrastructure, roads, ambiance, and the money needed to fund the transportation of the children.
“If the carnival ends today or tomorrow, they should start thinking about the carnival for next year. Start thinking about things like the infrastructure, the road where they will have the carnival procession, clothes for children, the ambiance and money the children will need. Think about the children who are dancing and the cash required for their transportation,” dance instructor, Pierre Kerense, said.
As a result, the carnival celebrations provide a wind of opportunities that also involve promoting the culture of Haitians. Thus it’s not an easy task to prevent the people from engaging in the celebrations firmly embedded in their nature. Following the alleged cancellations on the celebrations, the Haitian prime minister Jean Michel says the festivals will start as scheduled.
Why were previous carnivals canceled?
They canceled the previous carnival celebrations, citing the relevance of safety in the country. They attributed this to the prevailing political instability, demonstrations, and theft cases. The mayor behind the orders said that there was no guaranteed safety of the people attending the celebrations hence the prior ban. In the many thefts and death cases, they murdered a policeman in cold blood by an anonymous group. This group of picketers confronted and demanded him to surrender his service weapon. To refuse, one bandit fiercely shot him and handed his gun to his colleagues.
During Haiti festivals, some opposition enthusiasts took to rioting on the streets. These demonstrations were to remove their president from power. They were hence rendering the streets unsafe. Following the above, it’s clear some participants use such celebrations to carry out malicious acts.
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