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You are invited to join our 2008 Carnival
Celebration
The 2008 Carnival season will be inaugurated in the
first week of January and the streets of Curacao will be
turned into a colorful celebration of our national party
?Karnaval?.
The carnival festivities
will reach its height with the Grand
Carnival Parade on February 03, 2008. The week begins
with the Children?s Carnival Parade in the center of
town and culminates with the Grand Parade on Sunday,
February 03rd followed by the Carnival Farewell Parade
on the 05th.
Join the Carnival Parades and
Other Tourist Attractions
Another opportunity to taste our carnival is the ?Kaya
9 - Pietermaai' organized by CTB, which will
be held on February 17th, 2007. It is organized for our
tourists and locals who want a taste of one of the
famous ?jump-up? parades in the streets of Willemstad.
Participants dance to music en route to their final
destination - a big party where visitors and locals can
meet and enjoy Carnival celebrations.
The
traditional tourist stands are also available for
guests who prefer to be spectators and enjoy the
Carnival atmosphere from the sidelines.
From the stands viewers can enjoy the marvelous show of
exotic and colorful dresses, see people dancing to the
?tumba rhythm? and watch the various shows presented by
the Carnival groups.
Main
Carnival Attractions
Among
the
main carnival season attractions are:
-
Carnival Queen Elections
-
Prince & Pancho Election
-
Tumba
Festivals
-
Jump-Ups & Jump-Ins
-
Carnival Parades
-
'Rei
Momo' / King Momo
Carnival Royalties
Each year the Carnival
Queen and Prince & Pancho are elected during very
animated contests.
The Carnival Queen
represents Mother Earth, the symbol for fertility and
peace. The Carnival Queens light up the parades on their
beautifully decorated carriages.
Prince & Pancho,
carnival?s boisterous energy, stand out during the
carnival period. They receive the city key from
Lieutenant Governor to rule Willemstad during the
carnival season.
Tumba Festivals
The Tumba Festival is a
four-day musical event where the best local composers,
singers and bands from all over the island compete for
the honor of having their piece selected as the year's
official Carnival road march Tumba song.
This isn?t just any festival?it?s a musical
extravaganza. And winning means gaining prestige sought
by the world?s most talented musicians. The Tumba
Festival is quite a party, often lasting well into the
night.
Also, a separate Children's Tumba Festival allows
aspiring young singers to show off their talent. The
winning tumba becomes the road march song for the
children's carnival parade.
Jump-Ups & Jump-Ins
After the official opening day of the Carnival season,
usually in January, Carnival groups assemble and go
around dancing in the streets. They follow musical
bands, wearing T-shirts so the audience can recognize
the name of the group.
During the carnival
period, they
organize jump-ups (outdoor) and jump-ins (indoor),
selling T-shirts to raise money for their participation
in the "Gran Marcha" (The Grand Parade).
Children's Parades
During the Cura?o
Carnival festivities, the children of Cura?o present
their own version of Carnival.
Just like the adults,
the children have their own Queen of Carnival, King,
Prince, Helper Pageant and their own Farewell Parade.
They also have their own road march election.
There are two children?s parades?the first taking place
on the Sunday before the Gran Marcha, the second one?the
Children?s Farewell Parade?on the Monday evening
following the Gran Marcha.
Carnival Parades
The main marches, the
product of weeks of enthusiastic preparation, take place
in February or March. They feature hordes of fantastic
floats, costumes, and characters, plus Carnival royalty
elected during full-scale beauty contests.
There are two big parades, one on Sunday in the daytime
- Cura?o?s ?Gran Marcha? (The Grand Parade) - and the
?Marcha Despedida? (The Farewell March) a couple of days
later on Tuesday evening. The latter has a special magic
as the floats are adorned with sparkling lights.
Rei
Momo
Another important
character forming part of the traditions of modern
carnival is 'Rei Momo' (Carnival King). As symbol for
infertility, sins, and bad luck, this straw-filled king
is burned in a spectacular ritual at the end of
Carnival, the day before Ash Wednesday.
Buring of Rei Momo 2005 by
Houdini
In Cura?o the burning
of Rei Momo after the 'Marcha di Despedida' (Farewell
March), on the evening of the third day, is accompanied
by fireworks, and draws a huge crowd. This marks the end
of carnival season.
Courtesy of
Cura?o Tourist Board.
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