The West Indian Festival Essay, Research Paper

The West Indian Festival

Carnival was the largest, most colorful and vibrant ethnic cultural festival I had ever experienced in my life. Carnival is what the West Indians call this outrageous event. Carnival is only one aspect of the Caribbean Culture. Every year this event takes place on Blue Hill Ave in Dorchester, Boston. All the streets surrounding Blue Hill Ave. are closed for this annual special event.

It was a hot summer day on August 28th, 1999. My best friend Jessica and I had been anxiously waiting for this event to arrive. As we approached the scenery of a huge crowd, I felt a vibrating feeling from my stomach going all the way out of my mouth into a huge giggling outburst. It was a feeling of joy and excitement. I could hear the loud Soca, Calypso and reggae music piercing through my ears, playing out of the back of these huge shiny silver trucks. All the men and women were wearing colorful, glamorous and exotic costumes. My favorite costume that I saw was an all white feather costume with diamond studs on the crown and a white feather skirt with diamond studs all around it. The big silver trucks had large loud speakers in the back and some island girls dancing in the back, doing a special dance called whinning were they move their waist lines in a circle motion.

I was wearing my red halter-top, black Capri pants and white tennis shoes. The colors of my clothing represented the color of Trinidad which is my mother comes from. As Jessica and I walked among the huge crowd squeezing ourselves through the crowd; I could smell some spicy dishes of curry chicken, jerk chicken, rice and beans as well as a chicken rhotti which is made out of a soft fluffy pita bread stuffed with curry chicken and boiled potatoes.

Waiving my tiny Trinidad flag in the air, I danced like never before in the crowd to my favorite Soca song “Respond”. I was having the time of my life singing and dancing through the festivities. While I was dancing with joy it started to rain and everybody kept on dancing and jumping around. It was even more fun dancing in the rain; it made the Carnival more wild and adventurous.

I will never forget this incredible event. I felt as if I was on top of the world. I guess once in everyone’s lifetime there is always one memorable day whether it is fun or sad. I am already visualizing another Boston Carnival in the year 2000.