Curacao Carnival - Origin and History of Carnival

PRE-CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS
Carnival originated from pre-Christian traditions of the peasantry of Europe and other continents. Peasants live intimately with nature. They depend on good weather for good harvests. They rejoice when they reap abundantly. That's why they tried to influence the insecure factors affecting their crops by means of ceremonies and rituals. The European climate with its four seasons, among which the cold and dark winter, and spring when nature appears to rise from death, had a profound influence on those traditions. To this day elements derived from these folk-traditions can be recognized in the celebration of our carnival.

WINTER AND SPRING
The Romans considered the month of February a period of cleansing, during which they had to chase away the bad spirits of winter. Everything had to be taken out, dusted, cleaned and washed, to get rid of the influences of the cold and dark season. In this way the people prepared themselves to start a new year with a clean slate.

The Leeward islands of the Netherlands Antilles still have such a tradition, taking place at the end of December and called SakaFuku 'Throwing away Bad Luck'.
But this is probably of African origin. The new year we are talking about here, is not the calendar year as we know it now, but the Year of Nature, which stretches between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, the months of February and March. The Romans celebrated the beginning of spring at the end of February, which they called Februarius. The event lasted three days, exactly like our celebration of Carnival. On the second day there was abundant eating and drinking and a procession was held. On the third day the Roman peasants prepared pots of beans and other offerings for the deceased.

CARNE LEVALE/CARNIVAL
We know that the name carnival dates from the 13th century, but existence of the term Came Levale is confirmed by an Italian document as early as the year 965. The interpretation given to carnival as the renouncement of the consumption of meat, in Latin ‘carne vale' clearly dates from the time of Christianity. Came Levale originally were certain dues the farmers had to pay in connection with their festivities.

CHRISTIANITY AND CARNIVAL
Christianity tried in vain to put an end to these ancient religious festivities but in the end the Roman Catholic Church stopped its unsuccessful efforts to abolish them, adapting them to its own traditions instead.

In the year 1091 the Synod of Benevento declared the Wednesday following the three days of celebration of the end of winter and the onset of spring to be Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is the beginning of the period of 40 days of fasting preceding the ritual commemoration of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Gradually people came to forget the connection of the term carnival with pre-Christian feasts. From the 17th century on, as the festivities of the countryside entered the cities, the name carnival was generally identified with these syncretized celebrations.

TRADITIONAL ELEMENTS OF CARNIVAL – ‘ELF’ (‘ALF)
As we have seen already, an important element of the festivities was the chasing away of the bad spirits of winter. These spirits were believed to be noisy, to overturn all furniture, shatter roofs and bother the people. These crazy creatures had to be chased away with the uproar of whips, bells and musical instruments, which at the same time could also drive off other dangerous and wicked creatures. Elf or Alf in Germanic languages also means 'eleven' After the spreading of Christianity the festivities of St. Martin, which fall on the 11th of November, (the 11th day of the 11th month of the year!) came to be considered the beginning of wintertime and of the preparation of carnival.

There exists also the custom of the installation of a board of 11 members on this day, which assists the Prince who presides over the preparation of the festivities of carnival.

MASQUERADE AND PROCESSIONS
The custom of wearing masks can be found in many cultures. In pre-Christian traditions the peasants used clothes, masks and other makeshifts, to impersonate their ancestors, who had an important place in their believes. As is still the case in many religions all over the world, the people tried to please the deceased in order to get them to comply with their petitions and prayers to provide in the necessities of the living. By honoring the dead through their ceremonies, offerings, rituals, music and dances, they tried to invite them to return among the living and bring fertility among men, animals and plants. But the wearing of masks also had the curious effect of creating the possibility of shedding the social masks of everyday life and dodge the rules of conduct imposed by Christianity.

Processions of the impersonated ancestors accompanied b special dances, music and rituals had to pass everywhere in the countryside to ensure the help of the deceased for good weather and good harvests. Although their original meaning is now forgotten, we can easily recognize these old traditions in our costumed carnival road-marches of today.

WINING AND DINING
After the processions there was abundant consumption of food and drink, because the people brought offerings of all kind for the deceased, and when the rituals were over the leaders of the processions were allowed to use them. The custom of abundant consumption can still be considered an intrinsic part of carnival. And during the road-marches of today both participants and onlookers make sure that there no lack of food and drink.

CARRIAGE OF MOTHER EARTH, GODDESS OF FERTILITY
Carts and coaches also formed part of the processions for fertility. Those carriages went around the countryside to assure good harvests which in turn brought peace. The symbol of fertility and peace, Mother Earth, also formed part of the entities on which the people depended for a prosperous and happy life. We find a reflection of this antique deity in our lovely carnival Queens on their beautifully decorated carriages lighting up the Gran Marcha (The Great March) on Carnival Sunday.

KING MOMO, PRINCE AND PANCHO
Other characters forming part of the traditions of modern carnival are Rei Momo (King Momo). Rei Momo is burned at the end of the festivities, on the evening of the third day, the day before Ash Wednesday. Momo is a representation of all the elements that have to vanish before the period of fasting begins. This figure was also a symbol of infertility. It explains why Rei Momo is burned. In Curaçao the burning of Rei Momo after the Marcha di Despedida (Farewell March) is accompanied by fireworks, and draws a huge crowd. Prince and Pancho, who are the bearers of the city's key during the period of carnival, represent customs of late Medieval Europe with its important and autonomous cities, where Merry making and Craziness were supposed to reign during these festivities.

Source: Curaçao Carnival Foundation, Edited by Drs. Mar
Photos: Courtesy of Curaçao Carnival Foundation

CARNIVAL OF CURACAO CHILDREN
In the festivities of carnival in Curaçao there is a special place created for the participation of the children, who have their own Queen of Carnival, Prince and Pancho and burning of King Momo. The youngsters also have their own road-march which usually takes place a week before the festivities of the adults.

TUMBA-FESTIVAL
As we have observed before, carnival was from the onset a celebration which had its own local accents. In the history of the carnival of Curaçao an important element is the acceptance of the local form of music and dance called tumba. Carnival of Brazil has its samba, Trinidad its calypso, and Curaçao its tumba.

Weeks before the great march, a special festival is held to choose the winning rumba, which will be played during the road marches. The tumba festival has become an event, which can count with great interest from the public. The competition is fierce. The winner becomes Rei di Tumba, King of Tumba. The tumba festival nowadays lasts from Monday to Friday, with one day of rest on Thursday.

There is also a children's tumba festival, which, contrary to the festivals of adults up to now, is frequently won by a Tumba Queen.

FROM ELITIST COLONIAL FESTIVITY TO POPULAR CELEBRATION
From the 19th century on when Curaçao was a Dutch colony in the complete sense of the word, carnival was held in private clubs, which organized masquerade parties and carnival marches.

After the Second World War a group of citizens took the initiative to create a celebration of carnival which was supposed to become a festivity for the community as a whole. It was also meant to sustain the then blooming tourism. But these early celebrations did clearly not fancy the taste of the majority of the population and the event did not yet become really popular. This would take place only after 1969.

After this date the government of Curaçao also began to take part in the organization of carnival, but the success of this popular celebration derives mainly from two things: the enthusiastic participation of the carnival groups whose members dedicate a lot of time and energy to their fanciful creations, and the irresistible rhythmical power of the tumba.

Source: Curaçao Carnival Foundation
Translated and edited by: Drs. Trudy Martinus
Photos: Courtesy of Curaçao Carnival Foundation

Courtesy of Colors Magazine.