Carnival Preparations

Every February, Curacao holds an annual Carnival. This is an event that the entire island gears up for. In the tradition of the never-ending party, this event has many pre-parties that precede it.

One form of pre-party is known as a jump-in. This is an event held at a specified location. There is music (usually a live band), and participants may purchase a t-shirt ahead of time as an entrance ticket. This event is usually held in the evening.

Another type of pre-party is called a jump-up. Like the jump-in, participants buy a t-shirt ahead of time that they wear to the event. Unlike jump-ins, this event is not stationary. The band plays on a moving truck and dancers follow behind it. They make their way down a pre-planned route, much like a parade. Jump-ins are daytime events and people line the streets to watch the dancing crowd.

This past Thursday, a friend and I inadvertently attended a jump-in. It was a fun, spirited event that I enjoyed. Jump-ups, however, are met with mixed approval on the islands. A group of my high school students spent a class period discussing the merits and problems of jump-ups, then wrote opinion essays on the subject. Some were frustrated by the high level of alcohol abuse in these events, especially among teens. The kids’ heated discussions on the subject fascinated me, and I was interested to hear that some of the students found jump-ups inappropriately monitored. Sometimes the island seems like such a thrill-seeking locale; it was reassuring to hear high school students discussing the cons of alcohol intoxication.