Crop Over facts for kids

Crop Over is a lively harvest festival that started in Barbados. It began on sugar cane plantations when people were forced to work there long ago. This festival marks the end of the yearly sugar cane harvest. It's a time for big celebrations with music, dancing, and colorful costumes.

History of Crop Over

The first Crop Over tradition began in 1687. It was a way to celebrate the end of the sugar cane harvest each year. This tradition was common across the Caribbean, including in St. Vincent, Trinidad, and Jamaica. Because of this, it shares many similarities with Carnival celebrations in Brazil and Trinidad.

Early Crop Over celebrations often included singing, dancing, and music. People used instruments like bottles filled with water, shak-shak, banjo, triangle, fiddle, guitar, and bones. Other fun traditions were added later, such as climbing a greased pole, feasting, and friendly drinking competitions.

However, the tough times of World War II caused these yearly celebrations in Barbados to stop. The Crop Over Festival was later brought back and officially launched as a national festival in 1974. Local people like Julian Marryshow, Flora Spencer, Emile Straker, and Livvy Burrowes helped organize it with the Barbados Tourist Board. The main goals were to attract more tourists to the island and to bring back interest in local folk culture.

Today, Crop Over starts in June and continues until the first Monday in August. The festival ends with a huge finale called The Grand Kadooment.

Customs and Traditions

The two months of Crop Over are filled with a party-like feeling. Many public and private events take place during this time. The official festival albums show how happy and festive the whole country becomes. Private events, like sunrise parties or all-inclusive gatherings, lead up to the big Kadooment Day.

Calypso Music and Competitions

One of the main public events is the calypso competition. Calypso music first came from Trinidad. It uses a special rhythm and lyrics that often talk about current events or even make fun of local politics.

Calypso tents are places where calypsonians perform. These singers share sharp comments about what happened in the past year. They might also sing about politics or encourage people to dance with lively songs. Recently, local types of soca music have also become very popular at the festival.

There are also many other activities every week. You can find craft markets, food tents and stalls, and street parties.

Festival Competitions

The competition 'tents' are where calypsonians battle for the important Calypso Monarch Award. There are also the People's Monarch and Party Monarch competitions.

• The People's Monarch competition lets the public vote for their favorite song. Songs are put into groups, and people vote until a winner is chosen.
• The Party Monarch competition is decided by a panel of judges. This competition is all about how well a performer uses the stage and props. So, even if you have the best song, you might not win if your stage show isn't exciting. This competition happens on the Ermy Bourne Highway, also known as East Coast.

Other Celebrations

The air smells wonderful with Barbadian cooking during the Bridgetown Market Street Fair. This fair is full of local culture. The Cohobblopot Festival mixes dance, drama, and music. It's also where the King and Queen of the costume bands are crowned.

Every evening, the 'Pic-o-de-Crop' Show is performed. This is when the King of Calypso is finally crowned. The biggest moment of the festival is Kadooment Day. This is a national holiday where costume bands fill the streets with Barbadian music and fireworks.

See also

In Spanish: Crop over para niños