Dear Editor,
Carnival originated in ancient Egypt as a Pagan Feast to usher out winter and celebrate the beginning of spring. When Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, the Romans became familiar with Carnival. When Christianity spread throughout Europe, the celebration became Carne – Vale, carne meaning meat and vale meaning farewell in Latin. In other words, farewell to meat.
In most countries, Carnival starts right after the Christmas celebrations with colourful costumes and parades through the streets, and ends on Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday, when Lent begins the 40-day period before the solemnity of Easter. Sint Maarten has chosen to deviate from the original and true meaning of Carne – Vale a Pre-Lenten celebration.
While there is nothing wrong with the celebration of Carnival, however, celebrating Carnival at another time during the year in particular with the celebrations falling within the Lenten Season, the preparation for the solemnity of Easter the greatest feast in the Religious Calendar, has the Council’s total objection.
We have noticed that especially during the last years, more and more there is disrespect for the Lenten season, as Carnival jump-ups and other activities are especially organized during Lent. We have already witnessed the “Causeway Jump-up” and the “Around Town Jump-up” with its many fights and disorders. And particularly on Palm Sunday the Carnival Bacchanal continued making headlines on the front page of the newspapers.
What is really astonishing is the fact that official permits must be obtained for these activities from Government, from whom it must be expected that it must at all times uphold good moral and Christian values, absolutely ignores this responsibility.
The celebration of Carnival has taken a complete turn in the wrong direction. With this, the Christian Council means to say that it is no longer a celebration of clean and orderly fun. The Council would like to point to deterioration of the moral values within the society in various aspects of the Carnival celebration.
It is noticed as early as in the lyrics of some calypsos where more and more words such as “work-up” and “grind on her so and so” must form part of the lyrics degrading our women in this society. The Council is of the opinion that the Calypso Singers (male as well as female singers) can be much more inventive in the message they would like to send out to the public.
Behaviour & exposure during Parades and Jump-ups. We now come to the most degrading part of the Sint Maarten Carnival celebrations. Excessive alcohol consumption during parades and especially during jump-ups, particular mention must be made of the “J’ouvert Jump-Up, especially by our youths are the cause of not only numerous fights but also disrespectful behaviour, whereby our female youths allow themselves to be handled in a disrespectful way in public by their male peers, considering it to be just having fun. (Haven’t we noticed the increase in peer pressure?).
Our Carnival parades are no longer seen as an opportunity to express joy and have clean fun with a beautiful display of colourful costumes depicting a certain historical past with well-decorated floats. It is now more an exposure of nudity and provoking behaviour which trickle down to our young children who think that this is normal.
What is the result of all this? A breakdown in good moral standards. Being moral is creating a climate of ethical expectation, and the best way to teach ethics is by example, that is to practice them. Morals and ethics define who we are and what we believe. Culture, religion and many other things that affect our beliefs.
Let us be mindful of this while celebrating this year’s Carnival activities.
Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin Christian Council
