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The culture of St. Kitts and Nevis, two small Caribbean islands forming one country, has grown mainly out of the West African traditions of the slave population brought in during the colonial period. French and British colonists both settled the islands, and for a period of time the British imported indentured Irish servants. The native Caribs, skilled warriors, defended their lands by attacking the colonies. But by 1782, the British had gained control of St. Kitts and Nevis, which they retained until granting the islands their independence in 1983. British influence remains in the country's official language, English, while some islanders speak an English-based Creole. The influence of the French, Irish, and Caribs seems less pronounced. World map depicting Caribbean: West Indies redirects here. ...
Western Africa (UN subregion) Maghreb West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ...
Wiktionary has related dictionary definitions, such as: slave Slave may refer to: Slavery, where people are owned by others, and live to serve their owners without pay Slave (BDSM), a form of sexual and consenual submission Slave clock, in technology, a clock or timer that synchrnonizes to a master clock...
Drawing of Caribe woman Carib or Island Carib is the name of a people of the Lesser Antilles islands, after whom the Caribbean Sea was named; their name for themselves was Kalinago for men and Kallipuna for women. ...
Saint Kitts Creole is a linguistic variety spoken in Saint Kitts and Nevis. ...
The people of St. Kitts and Nevis are devoutly religious. Several historic Anglican churches remain on Nevis, and fifty percent of the country's population still practices the religion. Most other people belong to another Christian denomination, though there are some Rastafarians and Baha'i followers. An old Jewish cemetery on Nevis proves that there was once a Jewish population as well, but currently there's no active Jewish community in the country. The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ...
A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as Christ. ...
Rasta hairstyle Rastafarianism is a religious movement that believes in the divinity of ex Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie. ...
Known in India as the Lotus Temple, the Bahai House of Worship attracts an average of three and a half million visitors a year. ...
Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ...
Festivities
As in other Caribbean nations, the culture on St. Kitts and Nevis is festive and vibrant. Carnivals and celebrations play an important role in island life. At Christmas time, Carnival is in full swing on St. Kitts. The opening gala takes place in mid-December, with events going on until a few days after New Year's. Among these events, crowd favorites include the Miss Caribbean Talented Teen Pageant, the Junior Calypso Show, and the National Carnival Queen Pageant. Of course, there are also plenty of parades full of people wearing colorful, spangled costumes. Swabian-Alemannic carnival clowns in Wolfach, Germany A carnival is a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus and public street party, generally during the Carnival Season. ...
Another very popular aspect of Carnival, Masquerade (or Mas) evolved over the past three centuries from a mix of African and European traditions. Masquerade performers wear brightly patterned long-sleeved shirts with trousers, all embellished with bangles, mirrors, and ribbons. Topping off their costumes are masks and headdresses decorated with peacock feathers. Their dances combine elements of waltzes, jigs, wild mas, fertility dances, quadrilles, and other traditional African and European dances. Look up Masquerade in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...
The waltz (G.: Walzer, It. ...
The jig (sometimes seen in its French language or Italian language forms gigue or giga) is a folk dance type as well as the accompanying dance tune type, popular in Ireland and Scotland. ...
Quadrille is a historic dance performed by four couples in a square formation, a precursor to traditional square dancing. ...
Stilt-walkers called Moko-Jumbies wear similar but simpler costumes. The word "Moko" may come from the name for a vengeance god in West Africa, where the tradition originated. Or it may derive from the Macaw tree, a tall palm with thorns - headdresses worn by the Moko-Jumbies are said to be patterned after a Macaw in bloom. Wearing stilts six to eight feet high, Moko-Jumbies dance to entertain the crowds.
Clown troupes also perform at this time of year. In groups of about fifty, they dance while a live band plays music. Bells on their baggy, vivid costumes jingle as they move. Pink masks meant to represent Europeans cover their faces. It has been suggested that Circus clown be merged into this article or section. ...
Apart from Carnival, the island of Nevis has its own unique festival, Culturama. Celebrated on the weekend of Emancipation Day, it began in 1974 when some islanders feared that their native folk art and customs were being lost. They started Culturama to reconnect people with their traditional culture. In addition to arts and crafts, the five-day long celebration includes dances, music, drama, and fashion shows. Parties, boat rides, swimsuit contests, and street jams have also become part of the festivities. Each year, Nevisians celebrate their heritage during Culturama. ...
Music For information on music, see main article: Music of Saint Kitts and Nevis The Mongoose Play, a popular production of folk theatre and music Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island nation in the Caribbean, known for a number of musical celebrations including Carnival (December 24 to January 2 on Saint Kitts). ...
Cuisine With its rich soil, St. Kitts and Nevis grow a wide variety of fresh produce. Abundant seafood and meats such as goat add to the diet. The style of cooking is fairly simple, flavored much like other West Indian cuisine. Goat water stew, perhaps the country's most well-known dish, mixes goat, breadfruit, green pawpaw (papaya), and dumplings (also known as "droppers") in a tomato-based stew. Another favorite dish is cook-up, or pelau, which combines chicken, pig tail, and vegetables with rice and pigeon peas. Conkies bear a large similarity to tamales, though instead of having filling rolled inside the dough, the cornmeal is mixed together with grated sweet potato, pumpkin, coconut, and a few other ingredients; after wrapping the dough in banana leaves, they're boiled rather than steamed. Sweets tend to be simply made, sometimes with nothing more than fruit, like tamarind or guava, and sugar. The Caribbean or the West Indies is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. ...
Binomial name Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg The Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis), Malayalam: kada-chakkai, Hawaiian: ‘ulu, Indonesian: sukun Tagalog: kolo; is a tree and fruit native to the east Indian Ocean and western Pacific Ocean islands. ...
Binomial name Carica papaya L. The papaya, also known as mamão, tree melon, fruta bomba, lechosa (Venezuela and the Dominican Republic), or pawpaw is the fruit of the tree Carica papaya, in the genus Carica. ...
For the film, see Dumplings (movie) Dumplings may be any of a wide variety of dishes, both sweet and savoury, in several different cuisines. ...
Binomial name Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. ...
For the city in Ghana, see Tamale, Ghana A tamale or tamal (from Nahuatl tamalli) is a traditional Mexican foodstuff that begins with corn (maize) flour mixed with water and lard. ...
Rum is as popular on St. Kitts and Nevis as it is throughout the Caribbean. The Brinley Gold Company manufactures rum on St. Kitts, with such distinctive flavors as coffee, mango, and vanilla. But the national drink is actually Cane Spirits Rothschild (often abbreviated to CSR), distilled from fresh sugar cane. Caribbean rum, circa 1941 For other uses, see Rum (disambiguation). ...
Many villages on Nevis hold cookouts on Friday and Saturday nights, where people come together to eat, drink, play games like dominoes, and have a good time. A game of Dominoes Dominoes (or dominos) generally refers to the individual or collective gaming pieces making up a domino set (sometimes called a deck or pack) or to the games played with these pieces. ...
Arts and Crafts Artists of St. Kitts and Nevis create works inspired by their own native traditions, life on the islands, and African roots. Pottery is especially notable, both red clay pieces and pieces fired with colorful glazes and indigenous designs. Paintings often depict tropical landscapes, portraits of islanders, or cultural traditions like clowns performing. Other crafts include rug weaving, wooden items such as carvings and sculptures, and leather work. On Nevis, many craftspeople belong to local cooperatives, where they work together to create the crafts sold there. Unfired green ware pottery on a traditional drying rack at Conner Prairie living history museum. ...
The Mona Lisa is one of the most recognizable artistic paintings in the Western world. ...
Carved wooden cranes Wood carving is a form of working wood by means of a cutting tool held in the hand (this may be a power tool), resulting in a wooden figure or figurine (this may be abstract in nature) or in the ornamentation of a wooden object. ...
An Italian Futurist sculpture by Umberto Boccioni at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City (MoMA). ...
Modern leather-working tools Leather is a material created through the tanning of hides, pelts and skins of animals, primarily cows. ...
Sports and Games Hearkening back to its British occupation, the country's most loved sport is cricket. Local, regional, and even international matches are played. Horse racing is also popular, particularly on Nevis. The monthly races are festive events, with music and barbeque adding to the fun spirit. Mountain biking, golf, and soccer are other pastimes. St. Kitts also hosts an annual triathlon, which has become increasingly popular since its inception seven years ago. For the insect, see Cricket (insect). ...
Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ...
Mountain biker riding in the Arizona desert. ...
Greg Norman - one of the greatest ever golfers on the 18th tee at St Andrews. ...
Football is a ball game played between two teams of eleven players, each attempting to win by scoring more goals than their opponent. ...
A triathlon is an athletic event made up of three contests (from the Greek). ...
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