J'ouvert: Difference between revisions

'''J'ouvert''' ({{IPAc-en|dʒ|uː|ˈ|v|eɪ}} {{respell|joo|VAY}}) (also '''Jour ouvert''', '''Jouvay''', or '''Jouvé''')<ref>{{Cite book |last=Winer |first=Lise |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_n82hsbDJBMC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=j'ouvert&hl=en |title=Dictionary of the English/Creole of Trinidad & Tobago: On Historical Principles |date=2009-01-16 |publisher=McGill-Queen's Press - MQUP |isbn=978-0-7735-7607-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Riggio |first=Milla Cozart |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAmCAgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA288&dq=jouvert+jouvay&hlpg=enPA288 |title=Carnival: Culture in Action – The Trinidad Experience |date=2004-10-14 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-48780-6 |language=en}}</ref> is a traditional [[Carnival]] celebration in many countries throughout the Caribbean. The [[parade]] is believed to have its foundation in [[Trinidad & Tobago]], with roots steeped in French Afro-Creole traditions such as [[Camboulay]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=June 22, 2021 |title=A J’OuvertJ'Ouvert bacchanal |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2021/06/22/a-jouvert-bacchanal/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Cowley |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rHFOemkETacC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA229&dq=trinidad+j'ouvert+Canboulay&hlpg=enPA229 |title=Carnival, Canboulay and Calypso: Traditions in the Making |date=1998 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-65389-3 |language=en}}</ref> J'ouvert typically begins in the early morning, before [[dawn]], and peaks by mid-morning.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=McTighe |first=Elena |date=2011-11-01 |title=Carnival Caribbean style |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=00308277&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA273195202&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs |journal=PSA Journal |language=English |volume=77 |issue=11 |pages=30–34}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Wheaton |first=Vicki |date=2019-04-25 |title=Jump up for J’OuvertJ'Ouvert! Night parade of mud, paint and merriment returns |url=https://www.caymancompass.com/2019/04/25/jump-up-for-jouvert-night-parade-of-mud-paint-and-merriment-returns/ |access-date=2024-05-20 |website=Cayman Compass |language=en-GB}}</ref> The celebration involves [[Calypso music|calypso]] or [[Soca music|soca]] bands, [[Disc jockey|DJs]], and their followers dancing through the streets. In many countries, revelers cover their bodies in paint, mud, or [[pitch oil]].<ref>{{Cite book |lastlast1=Green |firstfirst1=Garth L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dGSnsW6rA6EC&oi=fnd&pg=PA48&dq=j'ouvert+daybreak&ots=cKpyTCEpve&sig=rrEuZqUYUT5LrLY-0X0Y0bmYnE4#v=onepage&q=j'ouvert%20paint%20oil27ouvert+paint+oil&fpg=falsePA48 |title=Trinidad Carnival: The Cultural Politics of a Transnational Festival |last2=Scher |first2=Philip W. |date=2007-03-28 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-11672-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Mason |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e13fDWVHxZwC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA91&dq=j'ouvert+costumes&hlpg=enPA91 |title=Bacchanal!: The Carnival Culture of Trinidad |date=1998 |publisher=Temple University Press |isbn=978-1-56639-663-9 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Today J'ouvert is also a part of Carnival celebrations outside of the Caribbean, with the biggest celebrations happening in cities with large Caribbean [[ex-pat]] communities.<ref>{{cite web |title=J'Ouvert Parade |url=https://www1.nyc.gov/nyc-resources/jouvert.page |access-date=1 September 2019 |website=NYC.gov}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=28 August 2016 |title=In pictures: Fifty years of the Notting Hill Carnival |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-37024463 |access-date=1 September 2019 |publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

''J'ouvert'' is a [[gallicization]] of ''jou ouvè'' ({{IPA-all|ʒu uvɛ|IPA}}; ''jour ouvert'' in standard French), the French Creole term meaning "dawn" or "daybreak", as this is the time at which the celebration is typically held.<ref name=":1">{{cite encyclopedia |title=Dictionary of Caribbean English Usage |publisher=Oxford University Press |location=Kingston |last=Allsopp |first=R. |date=1996 |volume=1 |pages=776 |isbn=0-198-66152-5}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |lastlast1=Henry |firstfirst1=Frances |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fhrCDwAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT184&dq=jouvert+French+Creole+term+meaning+%22dawn%22+or+%22daybreak%22&hlpg=enPT184 |title=Carnival Is Woman: Feminism and Performance in Caribbean Mas |last2=Plaza |first2=Dwaine |date=2019-12-30 |publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-4968-2546-9 |language=en}}</ref>

J'ouvert’s is rooted in the history of Carnival in Trinidad. The French brought Carnival to Trinidad in the 1780s, a time of [[Atlantic slave trade|slavery]].<ref name=":02">{{cite web |date=15 December 2014 |title="Mama Dis is Mas" |url=https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211235544/https://www.nalis.gov.tt/Resources/Subject-Guide/Carnival |archive-date=11 February 2017 |access-date=1 September 2019 |publisher=National Library and Information System Authority}}</ref> Their [[Pre-Lent|pre-lenten]] Carnival included hunting parties, dinners, [[Ball (dance event)|balls]], and [[Masquerade ball|masquerading]].<ref name=":02" /><ref name=":12">{{Cite book |lastlast1=Henry |firstfirst1=Frances |url=https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=pPfADwAAQBAJ&oiq=fndfrench&pg=PA57&dq=%C2%A0j'ouvert+canboulay&ots=VrJc6hoPLb&sig=Rnu88779EFnYqspDgYPHu3pMJ40#v=snippet&q=french&f=false |title=Carnival Is Woman: Feminism and Performance in Caribbean Mas |last2=Plaza |first2=Dwaine |date=2019-12-30 |publisher=Univ. Press of Mississippi |isbn=978-1-4968-2548-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":02" /> Enslaved Africans, who were banned from participating in Carnival, are said to have staged their own mini-carnivals, but using their own [[rituals]] and [[folklore]]<ref name=":02" /> and imitating or mocking their masters' masquerade balls.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Alleyne-Dettmers |first=Patricia Tamara |date=1995 |title=Political Dramas in the Jour Ouvert Parade in Trinidad Carnaval |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25613310 |journal=Caribbean Studies |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=326–338 |jstor=25613310 |issn=0008-6533}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-15 |title=Jouvert: Carnival high times, from Trinidad to the diaspora |url=https://pan-african-music.com/en/jouvert-in-the-diaspora/ |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=PAM - Pan African Music |language=en-US}}</ref> These immitation carnivals and mocking of the ruling class likely gave rise to J'ouvert traditions, as parodying of the upper class is an important aspect of J'ouvert tradition.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kerrigan |first=Dylan |date=2005-01-01 |title=Creatures of the mas |url=https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-71/creatures-mas |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Caribbean Beat Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref> Alternatively, J'ouvert masquerading traditions may come from directly a French Carnival tradition that took the form of "after-dinner raids on private homes". Friendly raiders would disguise themselves in humorous costumes that were often topical, [[Parody|parodying]] political or social events,<ref name=":02" /> and would remain disguised until their identities were guessed correctly.<ref name=":02" /> Costumes with political and social commentary are still seen in J'ouvert today.<ref name=":8">{{Cite journal |last=La Rose |first=Michael |date=2019 |title="The City Could Burn Down, We Jammin' Still!": The History and Tradition of Cultural Resistance in the Art, Music, Masquerade and Politics of the Caribbean Carnival: Caribbean Quarterly |url=https://wikipedialibrarydx.idm.oclcdoi.org/login?auth=production&url=https:10.1080//search00086495.ebscohost2019.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lkh&AN=139862225&site=eds-live&scope=site1682348 |journal=Caribbean Quarterly |volume=65 |issue=4 |pages=491–512 |doi=10.1080/00086495.2019.1682348}}</ref>

Before Emancipation, enslaved Africans in Trinidad had celebrated Canboulay, a night-time harvest festival characterized by drums, singing, [[calinda]] dancing, chanting, and [[stick-fighting]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Cowley |first=John |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rHFOemkETacC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA229&dq=%C2%A0j'ouvert+canboulay&hlpg=enPA229 |title=Carnival, Canboulay and Calypso: Traditions in the Making |date=1998 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-65389-3 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 2022 |title=J'ouvert: Genesis Immersive Experience (booklet) |url=https://citylore.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/JGIE-BOOKLET-TO-CITY-LORE-AUGUST-11-2023.pdf |website=City Lore}}</ref><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":11">{{Cite book |last=Riggio |first=Milla Cozart |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAmCAgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA288&dq=j'ouvert+jouvay&hlpg=enPA288 |title=Carnival: Culture in Action – The Trinidad Experience |date=2004-10-14 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-48780-6 |language=en}}</ref> The term "Canboulay" comes from the French ''cannes broullee'', meaning "burnt [[Sugarcane|cane]]".<ref name=":8" /> It may refer to the putting out of cane fires,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Canboulay’sCanboulay's freedom cry rings out on 50th Black Power anniversary {{!}} Loop Trinidad & Tobago |url=https://tt.loopnews.com/content/canboulays-freedom-cry-rings-out-50th-black-power-anniversary |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Loop News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |lastlast1=Turner |firstfirst1=Victor Witter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SeBZ7HDV8zIC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA300&dq=cannes+brulee&hlpg=enPA300 |title=The Anthropology of Experience |last2=Bruner |first2=Edward M. |date=1986 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-01249-5 |language=en}}</ref> the pre-harvest cane burning for pest control,<ref name=":11" /> or the burning of cane as an act of [[sabotage]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Thomas |first=Cathy |date=2021 |title=Black Femme Rising: Cosplay and Playing Mas as New Narratives of Transgression |url=https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1333520 |journal=American Journal of Play |language=en |volume=13 |pages=320–355 |issn=1938-0399}}</ref> during the time of slavery. [[Abolitionism in the United Kingdom|Slavery was abolished]] in Trinidad and other British territories in 1833, with Emancipation taking effect August 1, 1834.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The West Indian colonies and emancipation |url=https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/legislativescrutiny/parliament-and-empire/parliament-and-the-american-colonies-before-1765/the-west-indian-colonies-and-emancipation/ |website=UK Parliament}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hamilton-Davis |first=Ryan |date=2024-04-19 |title=Trinidad and Tobago to celebrate African Emancipation Day on August 1 |url=https://newsday.co.tt/2024/04/19/trinidad-and-tobago-to-celebrate-african-emancipation-day-on-august-1/ |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Trinidad and Tobago Newsday |language=en-US}}</ref> After Emancipation, Canboulay developed into a festival for freed slaves and former indentured laborers to celebrate freedom. It was celebrated annually on [[Emancipation Day]].<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Munro |first=Martin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WIVmoBuZ6AAC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=canboulay&hl=en |title=Different Drummers: Rhythm and Race in the Americas |date=2010-07-16 |publisher=University of California Press |isbn=978-0-520-26283-6 |language=en}}</ref>

In 1881, the British colonial government on Trinidad attempted to ban Canboulay. This resulted in disturbances known as the [[Canboulay riots|'''Camboulay Riots''']], which took place in [[Port of Spain]], [[San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago|San Fernando]], and [[Princes Town]]. It is said that people smeared themselves with oil or paint to avoid being recognized,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-15 |title=Jouvert: Carnival high times, from Trinidad to the diaspora |url=https://pan-african-music.com/en/jouvert-in-the-diaspora/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=PAM - Pan African Music |language=en-US}}</ref> or may have been covered in black [[soot]] from burning cane.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2001-01-01 |title=Trinidad Carnival — come turn yourself on |url=https://www.caribbean-beat.com/issue-57/come-turn-yourself-on |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Caribbean Beat Magazine |language=en-GB}}</ref>Today, covering bodies in oil, paint, or other substances is a distinctive tradition of J'ouvert.<ref name=":9">{{cite web |title=Traditional Mas Characters - Jab Molassie |url=http://www.ncctt.org/new/index.php/about-ncc/departments/regional/trad-carnival-characters/312-traditional-mas-characters-jab-molassie.html |access-date=1 September 2019 |publisher=National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |lastlast1=Green |firstfirst1=Garth L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dGSnsW6rA6EC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA229&dq=trinidad+jab+jab+j'ouvert&hlpg=enPA229 |title=Trinidad Carnival: The Cultural Politics of a Transnational Festival |last2=Scher |first2=Philip W. |date=2007-03-28 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-11672-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":10">{{cite web |date=18 August 2011 |title=A Carnival Theme Rooted in our Traditions by Dr. Nicole Phillip |url=https://groundationgrenada.com/2011/08/18/a-carnival-theme-rooted-in-our-traditions-by-dr-nicole-phillip/ |access-date=1 September 2019 |website=GroundationGrenada.com}}</ref> This tradition was likely carried forward in remembrance of the Canboulay Riots.<ref name=":12" />

In 1884, the colonial government passed the [[Peace Preservation Act]]''',''' which prohibited public carrying of torches, drumming, blowing horns, and stick-fighting (or the assembly of ten or more people with sticks).<ref>{{Cite web |date=Jan 30, 1884 |title=Submits Ordinance No. 1 of 1884: Peace Preservation. To empower the Governor to prohibit the public carrying of lighted torches at the Carnival, and for the preservation of the peace. Proclamation approved. |url=https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C10744614 |website=UK National Archives}}</ref> Many J'ouvert traditions may come from reactions to the prohibitions of the Peace Preservation Act. For instance, [[tamboo bamboo]] was introduced in the late 1880s as substitute for the drums and sticks.<ref name=":113">{{Cite book |last=Riggio |first=Milla Cozart |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAmCAgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA288&dq=j'ouvert+jouvay&hlpg=enPA288 |title=Carnival: Culture in Action – The Trinidad Experience |date=2004-10-14 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-48780-6 |language=en}}</ref> Tamboo bamboo bands developed and became the primary [[percussion instrument]] of Carnival.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Gall |first=Sharon Le |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fc3FBQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT20&dq=j'ouvert+1884+time&hlpg=enPT20 |title=Intellectual Property, Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Property Protection: Cultural Signifiers in the Caribbean and the Americas |date=2014-01-10 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-02664-5 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":113" /> Additional instruments were developed to replace the banned drums, and percussion was achieve through use of metal and other items as well.<ref name=":15">{{Cite book |last=Gall |first=Sharon Le |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fc3FBQAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT20&dq=j'ouvert+1884+time&hlpg=enPT20 |title=Intellectual Property, Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Property Protection: Cultural Signifiers in the Caribbean and the Americas |date=2014-01-10 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-02664-5 |language=en}}</ref> The history of J'ouvert's improvised instruments is celebrated today with the use of whistles, cowbells, bottles, and home-made instruments.<ref name=":15" />

The Peace Preservation Act also established the official start of Carnival as 6:00 A.M.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Immigration and the Political Economy of Home |url=https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/view?docId=kt5w102068&chunk.id=ss2.07&toc.id=fm03&brand=ucpress |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=publishing.cdlib.org}}</ref><ref name=":16">{{Cite book |last=Onyebadi |first=Uche |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vkNxEAAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&q=Sunday+midnight+to+6:00+a.m.+Monday&hl=en |title=Political Messaging in Music and Entertainment Spaces across the Globe. Volume 1. |date=2022-09-06 |publisher=Vernon Press |isbn=978-1-64889-471-8 |language=en}}</ref> This likely explains the early-morning start time of J'ouvert. Canboulay had traditionally been a nighttime celebration,<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":11" /> but after the Peace Preservation Act effectively banned Canboulay, Afro-Trinidadians began celebrating a reinterpretation of Canboulay beginning at 6:00 A.M. on Carnival Monday.<ref name=":16" /> Some historians claim that revelers took advantage of the pre-dawn darkness and began festivities before 6:00 A.M.—and that this secret and rebellious celebration is the origin of J'ouvert.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Stuempfle |first=Stephen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aG2p6Adax0QC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA26&dq=j'ouvert+soucouyant&hlpg=enPA26 |title=The Steelband Movement: The Forging of a National Art in Trinidad and Tobago |date=1995 |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=978-0-8122-3329-2 |language=en}}</ref> Today, J'ouvert in the Caribbean typically begins before dawn.<ref name=":3" />

The pre-dawn tradition of J'ouvert may have roots in Caribbean folklore. For instance, there is a local Trinidadian legend about a [[soucouyant]], who sheds her skin at night and consumes the blood of her victims.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ahye |first=Molly |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Golden_Heritage.html?id=WNnfAAAAMAAJ |title=Golden Heritage: The Dance in Trinidad and Tobago |date=1978 |publisher=Heritage Cultures Limited |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite book |last=Hill |first=Errol |url=https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Trinidad_Carnival.html?id=pFINAAAAYAAJ |title=The Trinidad Carnival: Mandate for a National Theatre |date=1972 |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=978-0-292-78000-2 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":03">{{Cite journal |last=Alleyne-Dettmers |first=Patricia Tamara |date=1995 |title=Political Dramas in the Jour Ouvert Parade in Trinidad Carnaval |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25613310 |journal=Caribbean Studies |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=326–338 |jstor=25613310 |issn=0008-6533}}</ref> She must reenter her skin before dawn, but is unable to do so if someone sprinkles salt on her skin.<ref name=":14" /> According to legend, she will cry out "''Jouvay, jou paka ouvay''?" ("Daybreak, are you coming?) as dawn approaches.<ref name=":14" /><ref name=":03" />

J'ouvert traditionally begins between 2:00 and 4:00 a.m. and continues until mid-morning.<ref name=":32">{{Cite book |lastlast1=Green |firstfirst1=Garth L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dGSnsW6rA6EC&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA229&dq=trinidad+jab+jab+j'ouvert&hlpg=enPA229 |title=Trinidad Carnival: The Cultural Politics of a Transnational Festival |last2=Scher |first2=Philip W. |date=2007-03-28 |publisher=Indiana University Press |isbn=978-0-253-11672-7 |language=en}}</ref> In [[The Bahamas]], however, J'ouvert Bahamas begins at night and goes until the early hours of the morning.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=2020-11-04 |title=Ready For The Road! A First Timer’sTimer's Guide To Bahamas Carnival |url=https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/travel/bahamas-carnival-guide/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=Essence |language=en-US}}</ref> In some West Indian countries, J'ouvert is celebrated on [[Emancipation Day]] (the first day of August). In Trinidad, J'ouvert takes place on Carnival Monday, which in Trinidad is the Monday morning before [[Ash Wednesday]]. Other islands celebrate J'ouvert on Carnival Monday as well, the date of which depends on [[List of Caribbean carnivals around the world|their island's Carnival dates]].

Participants follow and dance behind trucks or [[Semi-trailer truck|tractor-trailers]], which play music from speakers or have live music.<ref name="Smithsonian">{{cite web |last=Ehrenreich |first=Barbara |date=1 February 2009 |title=Up Close at Trinidad's Carnival |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/up-close-at-trinidads-carnival-45542504/ |access-date=1 September 2019 |website=Smithsonian.com}}</ref><ref name=":112">{{Cite book |last=Riggio |first=Milla Cozart |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YAmCAgAAQBAJ&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PA288&dq=j'ouvert+jouvay&hlpg=enPA288 |title=Carnival: Culture in Action – The Trinidad Experience |date=2004-10-14 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-48780-6 |language=en}}</ref> In Trinida, [[Grenada]], and [[Antigua]], a part of the tradition involves covering the body in oil, mud, or chocolate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-14 |title=8 of the best Caribbean carnivals |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/best-caribbean-carnivals |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=Travel |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Magazine |first=Smithsonian |title=Up Close at Trinidad's Carnival |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/up-close-at-trinidads-carnival-45542504/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-02-28 |title=Photo: Celebrating the start of Carnival in Trinidad |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/photo-celebrating-start-carnival-trinidad |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=PBS NewsHour |language=en-us}}</ref> On other island, colored paints and power are more popular for covering the clothes or body.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2017-01-01 |title=Basseterre painted by Jouvert |url=https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/basseterre-painted-jouvert/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=The St Kitts Nevis Observer |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-01-05 |title=J'ouvert Revelers Throng Through Frederiksted |url=https://stthomassource.com/content/2018/01/05/jouvert-revelers-throng-through-frederiksted/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=St. Thomas Source |language=en-US}}</ref> Throughout the Caribbean, many J'ouvert revelers wear traditional, [[Satire|satirical]], or popular costumes.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-01-20 |title=Trinidad and Tobago Carnival: A vibrant celebration of culture and tradition |url=https://www.ourhistory.org.uk/trinidad-and-tobago-carnival-a-vibrant-celebration-of-culture-and-tradition/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=Our History |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2013-12-27 |title=Sugar Mas 42 J'ouvert Attracts Thousands By by LK Hewlett |url=https://www.thestkittsnevisobserver.com/sugar-mas-42-jouvert-attracts-thousands-by-by-lk-hewlett/ |access-date=2024-05-27 |website=The St Kitts Nevis Observer |language=en-US}}</ref> In Trinidad and [[Grenada]], "[[Jab Jabs]]" (from the French ''diable,'' meaning "devil") dress as devils of different colors,<ref name=":32" /> and "Jab Molassi" (molasses devil) cover their bodies in oil from head to toe.<ref name=":92">{{cite web |title=Traditional Mas Characters - Jab Molassie |url=http://www.ncctt.org/new/index.php/about-ncc/departments/regional/trad-carnival-characters/312-traditional-mas-characters-jab-molassie.html |access-date=1 September 2019 |publisher=National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago}}</ref><ref name=":32" /><ref name=":102">{{cite web |date=18 August 2011 |title=A Carnival Theme Rooted in our Traditions by Dr. Nicole Phillip |url=https://groundationgrenada.com/2011/08/18/a-carnival-theme-rooted-in-our-traditions-by-dr-nicole-phillip/ |access-date=1 September 2019 |website=GroundationGrenada.com}}</ref> By contrast, in [[Aruba]] J'ouvert is referred to as the "pajama party parade," as people can join wearing comfortable, regular clothes rather than dressing up in costume.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pinto |first=Juan Luis |date=2024-05-23 |title=A quick history of the Jouvert Morning Parade – Aruba Today |url=https://www.arubatoday.com/a-quick-history-of-the-jouvert-morning-parade/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |language=en-US}}</ref>

[[Brooklyn]] is home to the largest West Indian population outside the Caribbean,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-16 |title=For a taste of the Caribbean just go to Brooklyn |url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/for-a-taste-of-the-caribbean-just-go-to-brooklyn |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=Travel |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The West Indian Day Parade Celebrates Culture and Community |url=https://www.nyctourism.com/articles/the-west-indian-day-parade-celebrates-culture-and-community/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=New York City Tourism + Conventions |language=en-US}}</ref> and began its own Carnival celebration in the late 1960s. Organized by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA),<ref>{{Cite web |title=West Indian American Day Carnival Association |url=https://wiadcacarnival.org/ |access-date=2024-05-16 |website=wiadcacarnival.org}}</ref> the [[West Indian Day Parade]] is held annually on Labor Day Monday.<ref>{{Cite news |lastlast1=Nierenberg |firstfirst1=Amelia |last2=Schweber |first2=Nate |date=2023-09-04 |title=Brooklyn Waves Goodbye to Summer in a Whirl of Feathers and Flags |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/04/nyregion/west-indian-day-parade-carnival-jouvert-brooklyn.html |access-date=2024-05-16 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The event attracts millions of participants who parade down central [[Eastern Parkway|Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Ray |title=Jump Up! Caribbean Carnival Music in New York City |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780190656850 |location=New York |pages=84-11184–111}}</ref>  An early morning J’ouvert component was added to the celebration in the 1990s when [[Steelpan|steel pan]] player Earl King and community organizer Yvette Rennie formed J’ouvert City International. Featuring traditional steelbands (DJs and sound systems prohibited) and ole mas costumes, the Brooklyn J’ouvert attracts tens of thousands Carnival enthusiasts.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Allen |first=Ray |date=Summer–Autumn 1999 |title="J'ouvert in Brooklyn Carnival: Revitalizing Steel Pan and Ole Mas Traditions" |url=https://files.eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5826/2017/04/16143646/Jouvert.pdf |journal=Western Folklore |volume=58 |issue=3-43–4 |pages=255-277255–277 |doi=10.2307/1500461 |jstor=1500461 |via=JSTOR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Ray |title=Jump Up! Caribbean Carnival Music in New York City |date=2019 |pages=207-234207–234}}</ref>    

J’ouvert marks the start of [[London]]'s [[Notting Hill Carnival]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Levene |first=David |date=2023-08-27 |title=J’OuvertJ'Ouvert celebrations at Notting Hill carnival – in pictures |url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/gallery/2023/aug/27/jouvert-celebrations-at-notting-hill-carnival-in-pictures |access-date=2024-05-24 |work=the Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> one of the biggest [[Street fair|street festivals]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-08-22 |title=Notting Hill Carnival: What is it and when does it take place? |url=https://www.bbc.com/newsround/49372390 |access-date=2024-05-24 |work=BBC Newsround |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The history of Notting Hill Carnival and carnival culture- Reader's Digest |url=https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/articles/the-history-of-notting-hill-carnival-and-carnival-culture |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=www.readersdigest.co.uk}}</ref> The J'ouvert event typically starts at 6:00 a.m. and takes place in the streets of [[Notting Hill]].<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Spark |first=Stephen |date=2017-08-26 |title=J'ouvert – The Secret Carnival at Day Break |url=https://socanews.com/news/jouvert-the-secret-carnival-at-day-break/ |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=Soca News |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |date=2023-08-24 |title=Notting Hill Carnival 2023: The line-up and what you need to know |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-66580333 |access-date=2024-05-24 |work=[[BBC]] |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-08-24 |title=Notting Hill Carnival 2023: Lineup, Times, Schedule, Dates & Ticket Info For Festival |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/notting-hill-carnival-guide |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=Time Out London |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mulligan |first=Euan O'Byrne |date=2023-08-28 |title=When Notting Hill Carnival parade starts, route map in full and road closures explained |url=https://inews.co.uk/culture/what-time-notting-hill-carnival-parade-2023-when-starts-route-map-full-road-closures-2572270 |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=inews.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> Revelers cover themselves in colored powder, oil, or paint,<ref name=":4" /> and others dress in elaborate costumes.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |date=2023-08-26 |title=Why you should be excited about Notting Hill Carnival |url=https://www.euronews.com/culture/2023/08/26/a-guide-and-brief-history-of-the-notting-hill-carnival |access-date=2024-05-24 |website=euronews |language=en}}</ref> The celebration involves multiple hours of music and dancing.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />

The [[Toronto Caribbean Carnival]] is held each summer in [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], and features a pre-dawn J'ouvert celebration. Unlike J'ouvert of the Caribbean, Toronto's J'ouvert often takes place at an outdoor [[Music venue|venue]] rather than in the streets as a parade.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-12-06 |title=Tell Dem We Reach! A First-Timer’sTimer's Guide to Caribana, Toronto's Caribbean Carnival |url=http://www.essence.com/lifestyle/caribana-toronto-carnival-guide/ |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=Essence |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |lastlast1=Simonpillai |firstfirst1=Radheyan |last2=Ristic |first2=Katarina |last3=Ristic |first3=Radheyan Simonpillai and Katarina |date=2022-07-13 |title=Toronto Carnival Guide 2022: Fetes, shows, pop-ups and a parade |url=https://nowtoronto.com/culture/toronto-carnival-guide-fetes-shows-pop-ups-and-a-parade-2022/ |access-date=2024-05-25 |website=NOW Toronto |language=en-CA}}</ref> The celebration usually features [[steelpan]] bands, other live music, DJs,<ref name=":13" /> as well as revelers using improvised musical instruments, [[Whistle|whistles]], and other music makers. Participants will occasionally cover themselves with mud, flour, [[baby powder]], or paint. Some participants dress to resemble evil spirits, such as devils of different colors, including the "Jab Jab".

Brooklyn, home to the largest West Indian population outside the Caribbean, began its own Carnival celebration in the late 1960s.  Organized by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA), the [[West Indian Day Parade]] is held annually on Labor Day Monday, attracting millions of participants who parade down central Brooklyn’s Eastern Parkway.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Ray |title=Jump Up! Caribbean Carnival Music in New York City |date=2019 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=9780190656850 |location=New York |pages=84-11184–111}}</ref>  An early morning J’ouvert component was added to the celebration in the 1990s when steel pan man Earl King and community organizer Yvette Rennie formed J’ouvert City International. Featuring traditional steelbands (DJs and sound systems prohibited) and ole mas costumes, the Brooklyn J’ouvert attracts tens of thousands Carnival enthusiasts.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Allen |first=Ray |date=Summer–Autumn 1999 |title="J'ouvert in Brooklyn Carnival: Revitalizing Steel Pan and Ole Mas Traditions" |url=https://files.eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/5826/2017/04/16143646/Jouvert.pdf |journal=Western Folklore |volume=58 |issue=3-43–4 |pages=255-277255–277 |doi=10.2307/1500461 |jstor=1500461 |via=JSTOR}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Ray |title=Jump Up! Caribbean Carnival Music in New York City |date=2019 |pages=207-234207–234}}</ref>