There are fun Bahamas tours all year round, but holidays are an especially exciting time to visit. Cultural events can be enjoyed at various times throughout the year, and you haven't truly experienced the area until you've taken part in one of these unique events. Boxing Day is one holiday that affords travelers a chance to witness the rich culture of the Bahamas.
Though not a holiday that is well known in the United States, Boxing Day is still celebrated by many nations of the Commonwealth. The holiday is most often observed on December 26th. If Christmas falls on a Saturday, however, sometimes Boxing Day will fall on the following Monday instead. Traditionally, the focus of the holiday is on sharing one's excess with the poor of the community. Originally, Boxing Day began as a holiday in the United Kingdom, and it was a time when the gentry (or employers) would give a box of presents to their servants (or employees). In Europe, the tradition dates back to at least the Middle Ages. Today, it is also a bank holiday in many nations.
In the Bahamas, Boxing Day is celebrated with a street parade known as Junkanoo. The Junkanoo parade is one of the most intriguing things to experience in the Bahamas, and travelers are more than welcome to participate in the unique cultural event. The celebration involves costumes, art, dance, and traditional African music. It takes place in towns all across the Bahamas. The Junkanoo dance originated with the Garifuna peoples, but it is also practiced in Jamaica and even among black Americans in places such as Key West. The dance employs careful choreography against a backdrop of rhythmic music. The music makes use of cowbells as well as drums crafted from goatskin.
The Junkanoo festival corresponds well with Boxing Day, because it is thought to have originated in the 16th century when Bahaman slaves were permitted to take a brief holiday around Christmas. At this time, they were released temporarily from the plantations. Celebrations involved family gatherings, dance, and general revelry. In the wake of emancipation, the celebration has grown more formal. It now involves rich costumes and entire communities.
The largest of the Junkanoo dance parades takes place on the island of New Providence, in the capital city of Nassau, which has a bustling population of well over 200,000 people. There, parade participants are judged in a several different categories. They are rewarded for outstanding costumes as well as for group dynamics. Travelers may have already witnessed scenes from one such Nassau parade in the James Bond movie Thunderball. The parade is free and no registration is required for the event.
The Junkanoo festival is also celebrated on New Year's Day and in the summer on Grand Bahama island, so Boxing Day is not your only chance to experience it. If you are looking for things to do in the Bahamas, don't overlook Boxing Day.
