Bahamas: Bahamas Junkanoo has been formally inscribed on the consultant record of “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.”
The inscription was held throughout the 18th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage, held in Botswana from December 4 to 9, 2023.
The Cultural Minister of Bahamas- Mario Bowleg expressed pleasure and added that the profound chapter of historical past unfolded. He stated,” Junkanoo makes historical past because it claimed its rightful place as an intrinsic a part of the Bahamas and legally recognised globally.”
Whereas reiterating his dedication, he stated that the inscription is not only a celebration of the nation however a testomony to the richness and significance of the cultural tapestry. With the inscription, Junkanoo is now declared because the official competition of the Bahamas.
He stated that it’ll additionally make strides in preserving and safeguarding this unimaginable Cultural Pageant.
Schooling Minister of Bahamas- Glenys Hanna Martin, on behalf of the federal government and other people of The Bahamas, prolonged gratitude to the ICH for its determination to inscribe Junkanoo.
He stated that this solidifies the approval of the nomination submitted by the nation to inscribe Junkanoo as The Bahamas’s nationwide premier competition.
Emphasizing its significance, the minister added that it gives worldwide publicity, potential funding and different avenues of entry from worldwide companions to the nation.
Notably, The Bahamas is without doubt one of the few Caribbean nations which were authorised for this esteemed record.
Bahamas Junkanoo
Junkanoo, named after the West African John Canoe Pageant, originated within the Bahamas across the 17th century as a masquerade. It’s a four-day celebration that all the time runs between Boxing Day, December 26 and New Yr’s Day, January 1.
As a part of the celebration, the residents throughout the Bahamas hosted avenue parades in downtown Nassau on Boxing Day and New Yr’s Day. Nevertheless, smaller celebrations happen somewhere else, together with the Abacos, the Exumas, Harbour Island and Grand Bahama.
Junkanoo is a celebration of unity, bringing collectively 1000’s of individuals of all ages and backgrounds within the creation of towering, vibrant costumes with cardboard and crepe paper.
The celebration is also called the right show of the artwork and craft of the individuals as they put together the costumes in shacks and transmit the information to the youthful technology.
Junkanoo is hosted into each main nationwide occasion of The Bahamas. It’s the celebration of creativity that defines the artwork, aiming to uplift the sense of group pleasure, id, companionship, spirituality and unity.
