MY BACCHANALIA, YOUR LENTEN PIOUSNESS
You see I was wining, "jamming" and worshiping at the altar of Bacchus, the Greco-Roman god of wine. and giver of ecstasy,
Yes, I had to prepare my soul for the Lenten season, the period of piousness on the Christian calendar so there was a need to soak in all the revelry. It was "rell" "bacchanal" like my Trini family would say.
From Rio de Janeiro to New Orleans, going as far East as Venice and Goa in India (a minute silence in respect of the children whose school bus plunged into a river, so carnival in Goa was canceled this year) back to Port of Spain, Trinidad &Tobago, we partied like it was 1999.
If you believe, I did all that globetrotting in one day, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, or Carnival Tuesday as we call it in T&T, then you still believe in Santa Claus
This wild street party called a carnival, during which, we bid the flesh farewell comes like clockwork, about the same time every year, and if you missed this year's, you have one year to catch up on the fun
This wild street party called a carnival, during which, we bid the flesh farewell comes like clockwork, about the same time every year, and if you missed this year's, you have one year to catch up on the fun
Just as it comes to an end, we are already in preparation mode for the next one!
Not forgetting to squeeze in the forty days, of fasting and pious living, which starts right the next day, on Ash Wednesday.
Not forgetting to squeeze in the forty days, of fasting and pious living, which starts right the next day, on Ash Wednesday.
In my adopted homeland Trinidad. The parties that lead to this grande finale are endless, right after Christmas, it is fete after fete, like the reigning Soca Monarch, Machel Montano sang, "They call me, Mr fete, since ah born, I never miss one yet'
What is the origin of carnival? It is rooted in Christianity is an open secret.
Centuries ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival just before the first day of Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, Carnevale — which means “to put away the meat.”
Centuries ago, the followers of the Catholic religion in Italy started the tradition of holding a wild costume festival just before the first day of Lent. Because Catholics are not supposed to eat meat during Lent, they called their festival, Carnevale — which means “to put away the meat.”
As time passed, carnivals in Italy became quite famous; the practice, then spread to France, Spain, and all the Catholic countries in Europe. Then as the French, Spanish, and Portuguese began to take control of the Americas and other parts of the world, they brought with them their tradition of celebrating carnival.
Today Carnival is a big foreign exchange earner for countries like Brazil, Italy, and Trinidad and Tobago. it also provides employment for so many, as costumes are mostly handmade, Sorry not all costumes as China also profits from the mass production of costumes. as we have seen products from China in the recent past.
Today Carnival is a big foreign exchange earner for countries like Brazil, Italy, and Trinidad and Tobago. it also provides employment for so many, as costumes are mostly handmade, Sorry not all costumes as China also profits from the mass production of costumes. as we have seen products from China in the recent past.
Trinidad and Tobago is exporting her carnival to the West African country of Nigeria. a practice, I am not too comfortable with, why you might ask, Nigeria is culturally rich with many indigenous festivals and does not need to import another festival which she will never perfect to attract the much-needed tourism. What she needs is to build on her existing indigenous festivals.
So carnival 2012 is gone, and we prepare for 2013.....wishing the Christians among us a"bacchanal" free lent
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