Junkanoo

Well it is Boxing Day - the day after Christmas and a national holiday in the Bahamas.

Actually, since the day after Christmas was a Sunday, today - Monday is the holiday.

Boxing Day means Junkanoo in the Bahamas a day of festival and parties.

Parades start at midnight and go all night and into the day - think caribbean mardi gras and you come close. Each year a theme is selected and different bands spend the year making costumes and preparing for band competition.

The competition is SERIOUS and the winner gets serious bragging rights. Actually, there are 2 sets of parades, one on Boxing Day, and one the day after New Years. Last year one group one the Boxing Day parade and another won the New Years Parade. The two big bands are THE SAXONS, and THE VALLEY BOYS - but they are not the only ones (which is why it takes all night for the bands to march down Bay Street before the judges).

What is interesting is that the bands consist primarily of cow bells, whistles, and horns - plus the dominant instrument DRUMS! Big drums, little drums, homemade drums - and they set the beat for the entire band, big time!

This year the parades are fighting an up hill battle with the cold. Temps in the night drop to the 50s and the hi temp is low 70s. As you can see from the costume above, it can be a bit chilly in some of these outfits - not to mention the people in the grandstands watching at 3 in the morning!

Now I do want to mention that, as I write this, I realize the folks in New England are getting 20" of snow and blizzard conditions so, while we struggle with temps in the 50s I will get no sympathy from them. We pray you all stay warm and drive safe in the midst of all that white stuff I used to have to shovel.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all - and have a Happy Junkanoo too!