The historical accounts are a bit fuzzy, but the way the story is commonly told, Caribbean slaves in the 18th century gained a day of freedom two times a year, on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) and New Year’s Day. They made costumes and played music to celebrate, and over the centuries, that tradition evolved into what’s now know as the annual Junkanoo festival, an all-night parade through the streets that’s been compared to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Brazil.
On this episode of Far From Home, I visit Nassau in The Bahamas, which is home to the largest and most well-known of the celebrations. I speak with several participants to learn more about the festival and why they look forward to it each year around this time.
Watch this video my brother took when he and I attended the Junkanoo parade a number of years ago:
Then check out my latest episode and hear what the Junkanoo Festival means to those who spend months planning and preparing to take part!
As you may know, The Bahamas are still recovering from the awful devastation of Hurricane Dorian a few months ago. If you’d like to make a donation to help, I suggest contacting Sol Relief.
As I mention at the end of the show, this is the final episode of my second season of Far From Home. I’m thrilled so many of you have stuck with me throughout all my travels over the past six months. I’m going to take a break over the next few months to do some traveling and gather more stories for the next season. But I’ll be back in the spring, so make sure you stay subscribed. In the meantime, I’ll be popping up in your podcast feed from time to time, sharing stories from some other great shows I like.
Stay tuned, and thanks for listening!
Scott
Photos and videos by Drew Gurian