J'ouvert
The name J’ouvert originates from the French "Jour ouvert", meaning "Day Break" or "Morning", and signals the start of the bacchanalia that is Carnival. The roots of J’ouvert in Trinidad go back 200 years, with the arrival of French plantation owners. J’ouvert evolved from the Canboulay festivals in the 1800’s, which were night time celebrations where the landowners dressed up and imitated the negres jardins (garden slaves). Following emancipation, the newly freed slaves took over canboulay, now imitating their former masters imitating them. Participants cover themselves from head to toe in paint, chocolate, mud, white powder or anything for that matter. This traditional part of Carnival starts at around 2 in the morning, finishing after sunrise. At the University of Maryland, we host our own J'ouvert, located on UMD's own Mckeldin Mall!
Photos by @JahBlessPhotos and @miyungYUMM