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1、TheGreatestShowonEarth…Theoldestandoneofthegreatestofthemall,therearefewexperiencesonearththatcancompare.TrinidadCarnivalisthemotherofallCarnivals;itisfarmorethantwodaysofmasquerading.It'sawholeexplosive:seasoninitself.Trinidad'scarnivalisabeautifulexam
2、pleofhowcarnivalcanunitetheworld,forwithinthisseasonbarriersfall,rankceasestomatter,andthewholecountryforgetstheirdifferencestocelebratelife!CarnivalwasintroducedtoTrinidadaround1785,whileunderBritishrule.Frenchsettlersbegantoarrive,withtheircustomsandt
3、raditionsaswellastheirslaves.OnesuchtraditionasnotedearlierwasCarnival.Thetraditioncaughtonquickly,andfancyballswereheldwherethewealthyplantersputonmasks,wigs,andbeautifuldressesanddancedlongintothenight.Theuseofmaskshadspecialmeaningfortheslaves,becaus
4、eformanyAfricanpeoples,maskingiswidelyusedintheirritualsforthedead.BannedfromthemaskedballsoftheFrench,theslaveswouldholdtheirownlittlecarnivalsintheirbackyards,usingtheirownritualsandfolkloretocelebratebutalsotoimitatetheirmasters’behavioratthemaskedba
5、lls.FortheAfricanslavesinTrinidad,carnivalbecameawaytoexpresstheirpowerasindividuals,aswellastheirrichculturaltraditions.After1838(whenslaverywasabolished),thefreedAfricansbegantohosttheirowncarnivalcelebrationsinthestreetsthatgrewmoreandmoreelaborate,a
6、ndsoonbecamemorepopularthantheballs.ImportanttoCaribbeanfestivalartsaretheancientAfricantraditionsofparadingandmovingincirclesthroughvillagesincostumesandmasks.Circlingvillageswasbelievedtobringgoodfortune,tohealproblems,andchilloutangryrelativeswhohadd
7、iedandpassedintothenextworld.FeatherswerefrequentlyusedbyAfricansintheirmotherlandonmasksandheaddressesasasymbolofourabilityashumanstoriseaboveproblems,pains,heartbreaks,andillness,alsototraveltoanotherworldtoberebornandtogrowspiritually.Today,weseefeat
8、hersusedinmany,manyformsfromcarnivalmaskstocostumestojewelry.AfricandanceandmusictraditionsalsohelpedtransformtheearlycarnivalcelebrationsintheAmericas,frommerestreetfestivalstoanexplosionofcultureandexcitement,incorporatingAfric
