En Español

Carnival: Let The Party Begin!

By George Oxford Miller

Think of the combined frenzy of the Superbowl and World Cup set to 100-decibel music—and you get an inkling of the passion for Carnival on Curaçao.

The excitement starts in January with the Tumba Music Festival and parties, and continues until late February or March. When it's time for the Grand Parade on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the island erupts into one massive celebration.

Every year the marching societies invite visitors to join them for the rollicking fun. You get a costume, attend the pre-parade parties and march in the parades with your new friends.

But you don't have to be a member of a group to join the fun. As the parades march past, the singing and dancing is just too contagious to resist. Spectators join in and turn the route into a writhing, shouting, jumping corridor of music and dance. Carnival ends with a Farewell Parade and the burning of King Momo, the symbol of sins and bad luck, to ensure a coming year of prosperity.

For more information visit: www.curacaocarnival.info.