Jacmel Carnival is part of the Identity of the City

For a city considered today to be the cultural capital of Haiti, one very important annual event is Jacmel Carnival. I is usually held one week before the National Carnival in Haiti. During this time, Haitians of all background, rich, poor, black, white and mulatos all merge in the city with only one objective, to experience the best Haitian Carnival of the year.

This is an opportunity for the local artist to display their work and their artistic talents. The major streets and these 19th century colonial houses and balconies decorated . Thousands of people in the streets, wearing their colorful costumes, dancing at the beat of loud Haitian Kompa music. This is also a time when you see something the artist of Jacmel are reputable for, hundreds and hundreds of huge colorful masks made with papier mache that are amazingly decorated.

Each of these masks and costumes has a message and expresses a particular statement on the part of the artist who designed it. They usually portray either a political issue in Haiti, a significant time in Haiti's History, or some Voodoo expression

Reply to this article

Read more: jacmel, carnival, Kanaval, Carnival Tips, Jacmel Tips, Papier Mache, City

« Venezuela and its link to Jacmel | Main | Jacmel and the Tourism Industry »

Return to Articles List

Our objective is to share with you news and information about Haiti and the people of Haiti. Traditions, habits and the way we were  or  grew are alive in this site. We highly recommend that you Subscribe to our Newsletter and also share with us some of the things that are memorable and made us unique people.