A carnival is a festive season that occurs immediately before Lent, and the main events are usually during February. Carnival typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party. Over the past 30 to 40 years throughout the Caribbean, because carnivals have become moneymaking events, many countries and territories now have their carnival at different times of the year.

A festival, on the other hand, is an event ordinarily staged by a local community that celebrates some unique aspect of that community. Among many religions, a feast and a festival are historically interchangeable. Festivals of many types serve to meet specific needs and to provide entertainment. These times of celebrations offer a sense of belonging for religious, social or geographical groups. Modern festivals that focus on cultural or ethnic topics seek to inform members of their traditions. Historically, festivals were times when the elderly shared stories and provided means for unity among families.

Let me give you an example of the difference between a carnival and a festival. Many of us have travelled throughout the Caribbean, and quite a few of us have our favourite island. One of my favourite islands is Dominica, which I have visited several times. If you go there during the month of February, you will be able to enjoy their carnival, and if you go at the end of October you can enjoy their Creole Festival. We know also that Trinidad is well known for its carnival, but they also have festivals at other times of the year. So we know that there are at least two groups of people here in the Virgin Islands who know the difference between a carnival and a festival.

Invitation

Several weeks ago I invited the chairman of the VI Festivals and Fairs Committee to come on my radio show, “Straight Talk,” to talk about the upcoming August Emancipation Festival. At that time, he gave me his assurance that he would come, saying that the timing was right, as it would be right after the official launching of the 2013 Festival. Shortly after, I extended an invitation to the director of culture to join us, and she also agreed.

On the morning of June 5, shortly after 9 a.m., I called the chairman to confirm his appearance, which he did. On Tuesday morning, I went to the director’s office to confirm with her. She was not in: However, that afternoon she called me and told me that they will not be coming because they did not have enough information for the public at that time.

I admit that I never completed secondary education, but I am not stupid, and it annoys me when people try to insult my intelligence. They had just had a grand launching at the Prospect Reef Hotel the Saturday night before: Information was all over the news, and they have the nerve to say that they have nothing to present to the listeners of Straight Talk. Festival is less than eight weeks away. The planning of this Festival has been going on for months, and there is nothing at this time to report to the people.

Perhaps their problem is that they are unable to tell the people of the VI why they can spend thousands of dollars to bring in outside entertainers and cannot bring in students and adults from Anegada, Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke. This is VI festival, not a Tortola, Road Town, East End, Carrot Bay or Sea Cows Bay festival. They are not prepared to tell us why the calypso show was moved from the cultural centre to the Festival Grounds; why the junior calypso competition was discontinued; why people must pay to go into the village to buy a drink and buy food; why the village is not more family friendly — or a lot more concerns that I have.

‘Everything is a secret’

According to information in last week’s Beacon newspaper, you might no longer see the children in the parade on August Monday in Road Town, as they are having a children’s parade in East End the following day. I would like to know whose idea it was, and who voted for it. But like everything else here in the VI, we most likely will never know, as everything is a secret. This is the only place in the world that I know of where the leaders have so little respect or concern for the capital.

I hear and read all kinds of negative comments about our Festival, and you can tell from the comments that they are from people who have no interest in this territory except what they can get out of it. It is very saddening to see how our Festival was changed over the years to a carnival so that people can make money. Our Festival was not designed for people to make money. However, if people make money during the Festival, so be it. Let us get our emancipation celebration back to a festival by Virgin Islanders and those other people who respect and appreciate how we celebrate. Those who don’t are free to leave and go on vacation or even return home, as no one has them chained here.

Everyone has the right to participate or be a spectator at any event in the community in which they live. Here in the VI is no different. If one visits any annual event anywhere as a spectator in his or her own community on in another community and he or she does not like the way it is done, he or she does not have to return for additional visits. And if it’s in your own community you can stay home, go to the beach, or even leave that community until the activities are over. Here we have people who practise Christianity, and their particular faith tells them that they must not participate in things of the world, so every Festival they leave Tortola and go elsewhere. That is their right.

Church announcement

Let me add here a notice in the June 9 bulletin of the St. George’s Episcopal Church. It’s called “Emancipation Participation,” and it reads as follows: “Our participation in Festival will be in three parts, entitled “The Trilogy,” and will be presented on August Monday 2013. This follows the Vestry’s approval to have St. George’s and other faith communities restore Emancipation thrust and help to encourage more decency in our Festival.”

Every English-speaking island in the Caribbean, from Jamaica to Trinidad, celebrates emancipation on the first day of August. Here it is almost a two-week celebration, with the main activities on the first Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of August. I have no way of knowing how they celebrate emancipation in other places, and I doubt I will ever know: However, I am positive they do not allow outsiders to dictate their celebration.

Maybe it’s time we take a long look and see if this length of celebration is necessary or financially beneficial to the people, businesses and the territory as a whole.

Let us unite and remember what we are celebrating, so that we can take back our Festival. We need to set a better example for the young ones. It’s a festival, not a carnival.

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