Many festivals take place in the Caribbean area, and Martinique, an island belonging to France, is no exception. One of the best things about living here is the great number of events and festivals, which take place throughout the year, all over the island. While it's hard to go to every festival, there is one event that you definitely can't miss. As soon as the Christmas festivities draw to a close and decorations are finally taken down, preparations begin for Carnival, the biggest and most exciting event of the year.
Having never experienced Carnival in the Caribbean before, I was excited to see Martinique come alive in Carnival spirit. True to my expectations, the celebrations were loud and had a lot of energy. For five days, the streets of Fort de France were filled with huge crowds, beautiful costumes and exciting music. Daily routines were completely abandoned while everyone took to the streets with crazy dance moves. In Martinique, Carnival is a celebration that brings people together, regardless of their age, race or religion. Everybody is united in this great celebration of life. An interesting aspect of Carnival for me was to see how many different cultural influences there were. The performances of people dancing in the street strongly reflected African dance, while the costumes were European. The music was also a unique mix of West African, Caribbean and European influences.
So, what are the roots of Martinique's culture? Most of the population of Martinique are of African descent (后裔). The history dates back to Africans who were brought to the Caribbean as slaves. After the end of slavery, many Caribbean societies welcomed forms of African culture and identity. Once controlled by France, Martinique is also deeply influenced by French culture. This is what makes the island, along with Guadeloupe, different from other Caribbean islands.
