Festive Islands: Trinidad and Tobago

by Paris Permenter & John Bigley

Lovers find a party year around in these Caribbean islands.

Few opportunities present couples the chance to take part in the "real Caribbean" like a local festival -- and few places on earth offer as many types of festivals as do Trinidad and Tobago. With a diverse population that traces its roots back to India, Africa, China, and the Middle East, these islands present a myriad of opportunities to celebrate.

"I don't know if there is any destination in such a small place where you could find such diversity," says Dr. Carla Noel, Vice President/Director of Tourism for the Tourism and Industrial Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (TIDCO). Within the 1,864 square miles of Trinidad and the 116 square miles of Tobago, Christian churches, Hindu temples, and Muslim mosques stand side by side, each contributing to the joyous festivals found throughout the calendar year.

Whatever you and your lover like -- sports, local cuisine, arts and crafts, dance, music, or just plain partying -- Trinidad and Tobago can deliver. Most special events welcome vacationers, and many allow visitors to participate in the sports competitions, partake of local foods, shop for local artwork, and be part of the action behind the scenes. Many festivals are scheduled for off-peak months and are especially attractive for budget travelers.

CARNIVAL!

Following Christmas, preparations begin for Carnival, the largest in the Caribbean. For weeks, residents celebrate with steel band practices, parties, and special events. January marks the Chutney Soca Monarch Competition, featuring the unique chutney music that combines calypso and soca and is played using East Indian instruments such as the dholak and the dhantal. The action really heats up in February when nearly daily events include National Pan and Junior Calypso contests and competitions for Carnival King and Queen. The events come to a climax the days before Ash Wednesday, starting with the Dimanche Gras on Sunday night, featuring the most lavish costumes of Carnival, and followed by J'Ouvert at 4am the next morning. Participants, residents and visitors alike, take to the streets to process behind the bands at this "Mud Parade," where everyone comes prepared to be smeared with tinted mud. On Monday and Tuesday, bands process through the streets and past the judges in Carnival activities throughout both islands, the largest held in Port of Spain culminating at the Queen's Park Savannah.

HINDU AND MUSLIM TRADITIONS

In Trinidad, special occasions reflect a rich cultural heritage. Hosay, a mourning festival for Hussein and Hassan, the martyred grandsons of the Prophet Mohammed, was originally a holiday for primarily the Muslim population. Today all of the island takes part in this mid-May party.

Prior to Hosay, Muslims fast for one month and construct colorful flags called tadjahs which represent the tombs of the two brothers. On the first night of Hosay, participants bring out the tadjahs for "Flag Night" and carry them throughout the streets. The second night of the festivals is "Small Hosay" and features a parade of small flags. The third night, "Big Hosay," is filled with huge, decorated tadjahs. The final evening of the event, all the tadjahs are put into the sea.

The Hindu traditions of Trinidad's large Indian population are also seen at many festivals. Phagwa, scheduled for March 13, marks the celebration of harvest time with singing of folk songs and drenching of all participants with tinted water (abir) using spray guns (pichakarees). Most of the activity takes place in the towns of Chaguanas, Aranguez, Penal, and Princes Town.

The major Hindu religious festival is Divali or the "Festival of Lights," scheduled every October. Honoring the goddess Lakshmi, Divali celebrates the victory of light over darkness, with music, dance, and gift giving. One of the most spectacular festivals in Trinidad, the highlight Divali climaxes with the lighting of millions of tiny deyas throughout the island.

AFRICAN AND AMERINDIAN HERITAGE

The African ancestry of many Trinidad and Tobago residents is remembered during Emancipation Day on August 1, the day that marks the end of slavery in 1839. The day includes the Great Race, a power boat race from Trinidad to Tobago, as well as many African-oriented cultural events.

These islands are also home to about 300 descendants of the Carib Amerindians, some of the earliest Caribbean settlers. The heritage of this group is celebrated at the Santa Rosa Festival on August 23 in a community near Arima. The day includes a procession headed by the Carib Queen, lunch with traditional Amerindian food, and displays of Amerindian arts and crafts.

Other special events are purely Trinidadian and Tobagonian in their nature. Tobago is home to Easter Monday, a day filled with legendary goat and crab races, special events that have been entertaining festival goers in the village of Buccoo for nearly 70 years.

TIME FOR AN OLD-TIME WEDDING!

Tobago's Old-Time Wedding has been drawing crowds for a decade. Every July, this reenactment of 19th century nuptials, complete with men in tails and top hats and women in satiny splendor, draws visitors and locals alike to the community of Scarborough. Traditional Tobagonian touches abound: a bride's trousseau trunk balances on the head of one guest, another transports a wedding cake safely tucked beneath mosquito netting.

The ceremony takes place within the walls of a historic church to a standing-room-only crowd. Even those visitors who can't see the bride and groom need not worry: the action continues outside as well, some years a pregnant "girlfriend" shows up halfway through the event and soon has the locals roaring and the visitors turning to islanders for an interpretation of the local patois.

A grand party follows, and visitors "chip" or shuffle dance down the street, later joining in traditional dances such as the reel and jig or the quadrille. And, of course, the event wouldn't be complete without a taste of the wedding cake and, in this case, the island's special delicacy: curried crab and dumplings.

The Old-Time Wedding is part of the annual Tobago Heritage Festival, scheduled for the second half of July. The festival is held at villages throughout the island with dances, dining, drama, and more.

For More Information: For more about the many festivals of Trinidad and Tobago, check the official website: http:www.VisitTNT.com.

Copyright Paris Permenter & John Bigley