Junkanoo, Green Turtle Cay, Abacos Islands….

It all began on New Years day with a spontaneous golf cart ride to New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay in the Abacos to explore the island and have a sundowner at, of course, the famous Sundowners Bar.

As we got near, the streets were full of festive revelers of all ages finishing up parading or “rushing” and continuing the celebration with feasts of grilled seafood, conch salads and fritters and other local delights. Junkanoo is the equivalent of carnival and Mardi Gras in the Bahamas with a distinctive African vibe reflected in the colorful parades, flamboyant costumes, elaborate head dresses, masks, royal courts, feasts and of course, music and dancing.

The origins of this celebration date back to the 17th and 18th centuries and there are more than a few theories on how it all began. The name is said to be derived from a man named John “Canoe”. One notion is that he was a beneficent slave owner who let his slaves take Boxing Day and/ or New Years Day off to be with their family and friends.

In another version John “Kanu” was a West African Prince or Akan Warrior who marched and danced from plantation to plantation in coastal North Carolina masked and bizarrely costumed, wearing animal horns and leading a troop of similarly dressed, painted and masqueraded male marchers beating goat skin drums, playing hand fashioned instruments, ringing cowbells and blowing whistles.

Others believe the name came from gens inconnus, or “unknown people”, because the masks provided anonymity. Whatever the origin this tradition has grown and spread around the world, today major celebrations occur in Belize, Jamaica and Guatemala. The largest celebration in the Bahamas is in Nassau the first weekend of May.

Participating groups {similar to the organizations in Mardi Gras} work all year long on costumes, themes, songs and dances. Prizes are given for the best presentations at the parades.