A week ago today, I was whining on ‘D Road’ at my very first Carnival in Trinidad & Tobago. I can still hear the Soca music playing in my head… already planning round 2!!

Carnival is known throughout the world for it’s music and colorful feathered costumes. Although most popular in Brazil and Trinidad & Tobago, Carnival celebrations have been growing into new cities each year. Aside from an amazing party, the celebration of Carnival has so much history unbeknownst to me prior to attending. Luckily, Stuarts family lives in Trinidad and have been attending their whole lives, so I have a lot of helpful information for those looking to attend!

I’ve also become aware of a travel agent specific for planning your Carnival in Trinidad! Reach out to Plan T&T , let them know I sent you 😉

Carnival occurs every year on the Monday & Tuesday prior to Ash Wednesday. It is broken up in three sections; J’ouvert Morning, Mas and Pretty Mas. 

According to District TT, “the Mas tradition started in the late 18th century with French plantation owners organizing masquerades (mas) and balls before enduring the fasting of Lent. The slaves, who could not take part in Carnival, formed their own, parallel celebration called “Canboulay”(from the French cannes brulées, meaning burnt cane.)” Today, Carnival is a celebration of the local Calypso & Soca music as well as the variety of cultures on the island.

J’ouvert Morning began at 3 am on Monday until well after the sunrise. Personally the history of J’ouvert is most intriguing to me. It takes place in the dark because it is a mas with evil characters such as Devils, Robbers, Moko Jumbies, Slave Owners etc. As youngsters, folk tails of these evil characters are taught to children whom fear them and listen to the carnival from their beds.

Today it’s celebrated by covering one another in paint and mud as you dance through the roads. Inhibitions are lowered and people of all ages join in; which makes it even more fun. We played with Caribs Rugby Team whom provided food and drink including Doubles (so delicious), then a band comprised of a steel pan ensemble, DJs and of course a drink truck. It was always fun to cross another band as some had differing themes and music playing. It was an adrenaline rush of sounds and constant action grabbing your attention.  As seen below, I had A LOT of fun!

After just an hour of sleep, the paint and mud is washed off and you are back on the road again for Monday Mas. Monday Mas is the shortest day because it collides with J’ouvert but it’s just as fun! According to my friends fitbit, we danced 22,000 steps during Monday Mas alone.

We played with the Revolution band (the original harts) both days. The bands were very well organized as they have a DJ truck, security teams, drink carts (additional fee but well worth it) and the WeeWee Trucks (for when nature calls.) Depending on the size of the band they may have multiple DJs driving between the drink carts. If you don’t start at the same time as your band, you can easily catch up with their App which monitors the location.

 

The grand finale is on Tuesday, the Pretty Mas! Early morning, bands gather at the Savannah (Port of Spain’s large park) to walk across the main stage to be judged on their extravagant costumes. The more feathers the better,

And as you know, it is always about the music, so the DJs of the band will play their favorite Carnival song as the band crosses the stage. The song played the most during this time wins the ‘Road March’. Machel Montano won it this year (for the 10th time) with Famalay, but I have to say it was a toss up for me with the Kes’ song the Savannah Grass.

Helpful  Carnival Tips

• The Picaro Airport is a quick 30 min drive to the Port of Spain where Carnival is held.
• There are many cashpoints to get TT (Trinidadian Currency) but we did convert currency before leaving.
• Comoflauge designs are strictly for police/ military and forbidden to be worn by the public.
• Be safe. Be smart. Don’t walk down dark alleys, or the Savannah during the nighttime.
• Don’t take random taxis. There is no Uber in T&T but they have a similar app called “DropTT” If you rent a car, I do not reccomend parking on the streets during J’ouvert as your car will be a new paint color. Parking is available on the Savannah Grass or else mentioned by the bands ahead of time.
• Order your costumes well in advance.
  • J’ouvert morning we were given a T-Shirt we cut up, but it varies with each band
  • The main costumes are worn on Tuesday which is why they call it ‘Pretty Mas’.  They are ordered off of your bands site and usually handmade to pick up once there.
  • I ordered a lot of face gems on Amazon.com
  • As you can tell, on Monday I just put together my own outfit from MissGuided (linked). It’s hot, so people aren’t wearing much
  • Many woman wear sparkly nude fishnet stockings during Mas.
  • Wear comfortable shoes for Carnival! Day 1 Mas we walked 22k steps, Day 2 Mas we walked 36k steps.
• All the new music being played for Carnival is released in early January.
• Events begin one week before Carnival with Machel Monday and continue with the Steal Pan competitions and concerts throughout the week leading up to it. The best website for everything is: TriniJungleJuice
• Wearing babyoil on J’ouvert morning helps wash off the paint easier
• Wear a small backpack or bum bag. If you have a drinks cart you can also leave some things with them.
• Wear suntan lotion! Trinidad is on the equator so you will be hot af! Don’t underestimate the sun.
• Bring bug spray! Especially if nearby the forest and beach
• Lingo you’ll hear in the music that I now understand after attending.
  • ‘The Road’ – the streets of Port of Spain the bands play throughout during Carnival
  • Whine- Dropping it low to Soca dancing
  • Lime- Hang out
  • Savannah Grass- It’s the section of carnival that the bands dance across and are judged on their outfits.
  • Carnival Tabanca- Post Carnival Blues

More on Trinidad

After Carnival, you definitely need to detox on a beach. You may stay on Trinidad as we did and visit their rainforests, hike to the 3 pools or sunbath on their popular beaches such as Maracas and Las Ceuvas.

Since Trinidad is a busy city, next year I would love to take a quick (30 min) flight to Tobago as it is more so the touristy part of T&T. However, Tobago sells out very quickly so additional islands such as Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada are options. Many locals have been suggesting Grenada as it is equally beautiful yet not as expensive or crowded as the other islands.

The Food in Trinidad is sooo Good!

They have a West Indian influence; so they cook with a lot of curry and are famous for their spicy pepper sauce! I kept trying to push my limits with the pepper sauce- which led to watery eyes and a runny nose. They actually add many delicious sauces like garlic sauce, tamarind sauce, and mango chutney.

Some of the popular food I’ve eaten and snapped a pic of below are: Shark n Bake, Aloo Pie, Pastel, Doubles, Pholorie Balls.

The Culture

Trinidad & Tobago has a very diverse culture that has been influenced by India, Spain, Portugal, France, Syria and even China.  From slavery, to British control and jobs in the oil industry they are very diverse. The main language spoken is English, however they do have a heavy Caribbean accent.