A Comparison of Carnivals

One of the spring’s biggest events in Bonn is Carnival. It’s a celebration designed as a “final hurray” just before the beginning of Lent. While most Americans who celebrate spend the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday doing boring things like eating pancakes to use up their butter, New Orleans is known for a vibrant celebration.

There is another section of the globe that spends those days partying: the Caribbean. My family is from the island of Trinidad, a small country 7 miles off the coast of Venezuela. One thing to know about Trinidad? They are very Catholic – a requirement for an exuberant Carnival.

While there are many differences between how Trinidad and Bonn celebrate Carnival, there are still many similarities. Both cultures spend the entirety of their celebrations getting as drunk as possible, and have a variety of parades that people can join if they’d like. Both Cologne and Port of Spain –  the capital of Trinidad and Tobago – swell in population as revelers from all over the globe try to dip their toes into the fun. Post-Carnival cleanup is assuredly not easy, with both trash and broken glass littering where revelers spent their time.

It is, however, far easier to discuss the differences. For example, Trinidadian carnival involves the annual release of new music – specifically in the Soca and Calypso genres – while Bonn and Cologne prefer to stick to perennial tunes. One of the most visible of these differences is what days are specifically important. While Bonn’s Carnival season has a specific start date – November 11th – the start of Trinidad’s season is much more nebulous. One of the most convenient dates is either when the year’s Soca music is released – usually late December – or when the parade groups start selling costumes a few weeks later. The major parade in Port of Spain occurs on Tuesday. By Tuesday, revelers in Bonn and Cologne have headed back home after the Rosenmontag parades. The Trinidadian parades are far more competitive – the weekend could be spent going from a competition to a fete, to a competition that masquerades as a parade.

There’s still a massive difference between the two celebrations even if you decide not to participate in the parades. While any smart planner picks an advantageous location to camp out the parade, the rewards you get differ in the two locations. In Bonn, paraders toss (pre wrapped) treats to the onlookers. If you plant yourself on the Queen’s Park Savannah – a large roundabout that contains the most important stage – you can get yourself a piece of someone’s costume.

The costumes are very different, certainly by necessity. Wearing the wrong costume for the location could make you a candidate for hypothermia or heat exhaustion. Trinidadian costumes are usually similar to the styles you would see on the beach. Some Bonn costumes could be mistaken for cozy pajamas!

Carnival in Bonn was quite fun. However, as a Caribbean-American, it made me homesick. Especially because there aren’t any Caribbean restaurants in the metropolitan area, so even a quick stop for some roti or doubles – two common dishes in Trinidad – couldn’t alleviate it.

Sincerely,

Carden