New Year in Bahamas is a colorful carnival with various parades and masquerades. Various New Year celebrations in Bahamas have been evolved from the age-old traditions performed by the native folks.
Ring in the New Year with some unique New Year Traditions in Bahamas from the house of 123newyear Food has always been a central feature of New Year in Bahamas. Some traditional Bahamian New Year items are black cake, ginger beer, apples, grapes, garlic pork, pepper pot, pickled onions and ham. New Year drinks include ginger beer, sorrel, mauby, sweet potato fly (a fly is a fermented drink), falernum, shandy, rum and wines.
One of the most remarkable traditions among the various New Year traditions in Bahamas is the Junkanoo Festival. The Bahamian festival of Junkanoo is a vivacious, motley parade of brightly costumed people gyrating and dancing to the rhythmic beats of cowbells, drums and whistles. Junkanoo parades are arranged in multiple groups and organized around a particular theme. Their costumes, dance and music reflect this theme. Families, friends and neighbors gather within groups to perform together at the parade.
There is a belief that the word Junkanoo is derived from "John Canoe," an African tribal chief who demanded to allow him to celebrate the holiday with his folks after he was brought to the West Indies as a slave. Junkanoo probably began in the 16th or 17th century. Around Christmas, Bahamian slaves were given a few days holiday. They celebrated the time participating in this unique carnival. In the early years, Junkanoo participants wore queer masks and walked on stilts. They used to let off steam.
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