Diary of a Carnival Chaser

  If you're from the Caribbean, then you probably understand this better than most. The three major elements of any carnival are: dressing in masquerade, music, and dancing. This is constant regardless of the Caribbean territory. Think elaborate costumes, masks, feathers, headdresses, dancing, music, and drums, along with raucous behavior. Men can get away with a shorts and a t-shirt (or none), but for the Women... it's gonna be a production on Beyonce's level. An entire carnival support industry was created just to support women. One of the unspoken rules as a woman playing mas (Jamaican's say Jumping Carnival) is that whatever you're prepared to spend on your costume, be prepared to spend about half as much on getting ready: Think Carnival Boots, Carnival Makeup , Hair, Body Bronzing, Waxing, Nails, Stockings , Gloss for the road , Carnival Pouch, and possibly a photoshoot before you hit the road. Women start to get ready for Carnival from as early as midnight.

  Miami Carnival 2021 will go down in history as being one of the most EPIC post-pandemic Carnivals ever. When all the other Carnivals got cancelled, Miami was the only destination that got the green light. Carnival Tabanca  was at its all time highest as the last major carnival was Trinidad Carnival 2020, which was a year and a half prior.   Carnival was BACK!!! With costumes and feathered backpacks ranging from anywhere between one and two thousand US dollars, all eyes are focused on the women. In Trinidad, there is a saying  “Carnival is Woman” I t’s easy to understand why. The production that goes into getting ready for Carnival as a woman is often times on par with, or even more expensive than what a woman spends on herself in preparation for her wedding day. In fact, between ‘chipping down the road’ and walking down the aisle -to some- there is no difference. On Carnival day -and rightfully so- every woman is a Princess and that’s why most Carnival costumes come with tiaras. In t