The
Carnival Programme

On the first Sunday
after Epiphany, various
groups, all dressed-up, parade
in the streets.
Carnival continues
over many days:
Shrove Sunday,
the different groups
and floats
take to the streets for the traditional meeting.

Some examples of Carnival
characters:
- Caroline,
a mannequin made of canvas or straw accompanied by a man. The mannequin
represents a woman but is so cleverly arranged that it seems as if the
woman were carrying the man, in a funny reversal of roles.
- Négre
gros sirop wears nothing but a loincloth and his face remains covered
with an atrocious mixture of black ash and syrup.
- Marianne la
peau figue or l'Ours who wears a costume made of dry banana-leaves
- Mokos
zombies,
a zombie dressed in many colours and dancing on stilts.

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- Shrove
Monday is the day of mock weddings where couples cross-dress,
the man wearing a wedding dress and the woman playing the role
of the bridegroom.
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- Shrove
Tuesday is the Red Devil Feast. Everybody dresses in red.
The big parade in the south of the island takes place on this
particular day. The townships take it in turn to host the festival
that attracts several thousands of people from all over the island.
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| Carnival
ends on Ash Wednesday with the Devil Parade and the Burning
of Vaval, the icon of the Carnival. Everybody is dressed in
black and white and mourns the death of the King of Carnival. |
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