What you should know
- The sights and sounds of one of the world’s largest celebrations of Caribbean culture have been affected once again this Labor Day due to the pandemic, the second year in a row that plans have had to be modified to deal with the health crisis still present.
- The organizers of the New York City West Indies Day Parade have made the decision that 2021 is not the year for a typical large-scale event, so they have reinvented carnival as a three-day celebration that is focuses on smaller virtual and face-to-face events that will take place from 2 to 5 September.
- Calling the J’Ouvert festivities “an incredible and powerful celebration of heritage,” de Blasio went on to say that canceling the event was not an easy decision, but one that it had to be made.
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NEW YORK – The sights and sounds of one of the world’s largest celebrations of Caribbean culture have been affected once again this Labor Day due to the pandemic, the second year in a row that plans have had to be altered to cope with the still-present health crisis.
The New York City West Indies Day Parade, or West Indian Day Parade, is one of the last large-scale events that had to be reorganized due to the ongoing fight against the coronavirus as cases of the delta variant skyrocket in the tri-state area and across the country.
The carnival organizers have made the decision that 2021 is not the year for a typical large-scale event, so they have reinvented the carnival as a three-day celebration that focuses on smaller virtual and face-to-face events taking place from the September 2-5.
“It’s never easy for people to put off a cherished tradition,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday. “But it is the right thing to do and a great alternative has been created.”
Michelle Gibbs, president of the West Indies Day Carnival Association, said she is aware that many people are “disappointed” that the carnival will not take place on a large scale like years before the pandemic.
“Unfortunately, our parade on the Eastern Parkway is canceled, but that does not mean that the Carnival is not going to continue in our spirit,” said Gibbs. “We are going to have several events behind the Brooklyn Museum starting this Thursday live and direct. From this Thursday to this Monday.”
For decades, the annual parade has featured sparkling costumes, bands, and sound systems in New York City to celebrate Carnival that take place across the Caribbean.
The early morning hours before the parade feature a separate street party known as J’Ouvert, which means a celebration of freedom from slavery.
But the organizers of both events have been forced to adapt once again this year.
Calling the J’Ouvert festivities “an incredible and powerful celebration of heritage,” de Blasio went on to say that canceling the event was not an easy decision, but one that had to be made.
“[Es] an incredible and powerful celebration of heritage. One that is so important to so many New Yorkers, but cannot happen this year like it did before the pandemic. It has been postponed again until 2022. But the celebration of J’Ouvert will return in 2022 in full force like so many things in this city, “said the mayor.” It is never easy to decide that such a treasured event should be postponed again. It’s never easy, but I want to thank all the community leaders, elected officials, clergy, everyone who came out and decided this was the right thing to do to focus on community health and safety. “
J’Ouvert City International President Yvette Rennie said they “looked forward to hosting our event this year, but the downsides have outweighed the pros.”
Rennie went on to say that they looked at “here the bigger picture of the health, the safety of our people and also following the guidelines of the CDC and New York, we have chosen to cancel again this year.”
New York City Council Majority Leader Laurie Cumbo told the public not to try to reproduce Carnival or J’Ouvert in their own blocks or communities.
“We advise people not to try to have their own mini carnivals or their own mini events or to try to reproduce Carnival or J’Ouvert in their own way. It is important that you recognize that the best way to celebrate this year is to celebrate with your family and his friends [en] little get-togethers, “Cumbo said.
“At festivals like this, you normally bring people from all over the world and we recognize that people would come from all over the world but not everyone is vaccinated, not everyone has taken the proper precautions and we want to protect our elders, as well as our young people who are going to go back to school very soon, ”continued Cumbo.
“It’s critical that we do this as safely as possible. So stay home this year, keeping it local, not trying to recreate J’Ouvert on your block or in your community, not trying to recreate the Labor Day parade … if they are interested in celebrating online, dressing up, donning their outfit, celebrating big, with music, and having a good time! “
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