Celebrate in Aruba!

Carnivals in the Caribbean are known for their vibrant colors, lively music, and dances! They are a super fun celebration that are commonly found in the Caribbean. Let's see what it's like to celebrate in Aruba! 


 

In 1954, Carnival was born as a series of small street festivals. Many different clubs and districts were brought together for the first public Aruba Carnival. The traditional Aruban Grand Parades were organized 3 years after the birth of Carnival. On November 11, 1966, at 11:11a.m., Stichting Arubaanse Carnaval was founded. They are the Carnival's organizing body. From then on, each year the Carnival season officially begins at that precise moment, November 11 at 11:11a.m.. 


 

Steel bands were introduced to Aruba by Trinidadian immigrants who worked in the oil refineries. The first ever created steel band was called the Aruba All Star Boys. This band incorporates different aspects of samba, rumba, and a lot more different styles of music. 


The burning of King Momo

Aruba has a variety of different parades. They have the Lighting Parade, Children's Parades, the Jouvet Morning Pajama Party, and the Grand Carnival Parade in Oranjestad. To signal the ending of the Aruba Carnival season on Shrove Tuesday, the day just before Ash Wednesday, there is a midnight burning of King Momo, a life-size sculpture. The final burning of King Momo embodies the burning of the Spirit of Carnival, who will come back when the next season begins! Pretty cool, isn't it?







The Lighting Parade produced by Tivoli, a social club.




The video above was the Lighting Parade in Oranjestad, Aruba, last year in 2019. You can see that the music and the dances take the streets. It is named the Lighting Parade because of all the lights that are organized on the costumes, parade floats, and those that are decorated on the streets. The energy in the video alone is amazing and so cool, I can only imagine how lively it is in person!

The Grand Carnival in Aruba celebrates life, customs, and people! This Carnival in Oranjestad combines steel bands, floats, and costumed dancers. 





Sources

“Aruba Carnival - Schedule, History, Facts & Advice for Carnival.” Aruba Carnival - Schedule, History, Facts & Advice for Carnival | Aruba.com, www.aruba.com/us/our-island/history-and-culture/carnival-in-aruba.

“🥇 A Guide to【ARUBA CARNIVAL 2020】 Dates, Events & More.” Carnivaland, 4 Mar. 2020, www.carnivaland.net/aruba-carnival/.











 

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