Junkanoo is a street parade with music, dance, and intricate and colorful costumes that takes place throughout the Bahamas. The music is infectious, often African-inspired, and is performed largely on instruments created in the Bahamas. Similarly, great care and effort goes into creating stunning costumes, many of which are created with painstaking attention to detail.
Junkanoo parades take place in many cities throughout the Bahamas, the largest taking place in the islands’ capital, Nassau. Parades are held on Boxing Day (December 26), New Year’s Day (January 1), and, in some parts of the Bahamas, also in the summer.
Junkanoo’s origins are not entirely clear and remain a matter of debate. Some people say the name derives from “John Canoe”, who was a 17th century African prince and slave trader, who is reputed to have outwitted the English and Dutch, thus becoming a hero to the slaves. What is definitely known is that the days to celebrate Junkanoo coincide with two of the three traditional annual holidays given to slaves (these traditional holidays were December 25, December 26, and January 1). Also, similarly named holidays (“Jonkonnu” or “John Canoe” in Jamaica, “John Canoe” in Belize, and “John Kuner” in North Carolina).
For many people, Junkanoo is one of the best-known aspects of Bahamian culture. This is largely due to the fact that. Junkanoo parades have been featured in several high-profile movies. Such films include the James Bond film Thunderball, as well as the films After the Sunset and Jaws – The Revenge.
