Avondvierdaagse (AVD): An Alternative To Carnival in Suriname
This article was originally published on LinkedIn. Text and images have been updated where needed.
In February 2014, local newspaper De Ware Tijd approached me to write a piece about Carnival in Suriname. In that article, two questions remained central to the discussion:
1. Why is Suriname, a country with strong Caribbean influences, not a Carnival country and why is this event only celebrated in small portions?
2. In which way can we use a similar concept als Guyana’s MASH and how can we celebrate it in our own Surinamese way?
If I wanted to provide a quick answer to the aforementioned question, I would say that 1. Suriname just doesn’t have a traditional Carnival culture and 2. There is already an event in Suriname that could be developed into Suriname’s alternative to Carnival. However, to get a better view of why I feel this way, I’ll provide you with a more elaborate answer:
Carnival and the Surinamese identity
Surinamese love Carnival. Countless Surinamese have been watching Carnival in Rio on TV for the past decades and organized trips by Surinamese to enjoy Carnival in the Caribbean have continuously been growing.
While a certain interest is present, there is a fundamental difference between the Surinamese as visitors of an international Carnival festival and actually developing Carnival in Suriname, which all starts with identity. Carnival, traditionally, is a Catholic event, usually celebrated before Ash Wednesday. In Suriname, the Catholic religion is the third biggest religion with about 25% of the population, whereas countries like Brazil, Trinidad and even the Netherlands still have a predominantly Catholic population. In Aruba and Curacao for instance, the Catholics account for as much as 80% of the population. The two biggest groups in Suriname, the Hindu and Protestants, traditionally don’t celebrate Carnival. Of course, in modern society, the celebration of Carnival is no longer directly linked to religion, but it does show that society’s demand for a Surinamese Carnival celebration in February is not that big. Even if we were to decide to organize a national event, the question would arise whether we should celebrate it the Brazilian, the Caribbean or the Dutch way, as Suriname is part of the Caribbean Community, located in South America, bordering Europe and still holds strong cultural ties with the Netherlands.
As a result of Suriname’s multicultural society, the view on and interest in organizing a national Carnival event remains fragmented, leading to different stakeholders organizing Carnival with a different approach for the past decades. A clear collective vision for Surinamese Carnival has largely been absent as there was no collective demand for one. Carnival offers a fun opportunity for children to dress up, but without the religious connotation, how does in differ from ‘Sinterklaas’ (Children’s Day) or Halloween? Due to the lack of a clear collective vision an international Carnival event in Suriname does not seem like a realistic goal.
Carnival in Suriname, but different
If we were to accept the fact that Suriname’s diversity makes it difficult to celebrate Carnival the traditional way, the second question seems legit: Is there a Surinamese alternative to Carnival? In Saint Martin, Carnaval has been celebrated in April for commercial reasons. Could Suriname benefit from a similar construction?
Due to my connection with Surifesta, the most logical step was to see if our Owru Yari celebrations could fit the description. The last week of December, the streets of Paramaribo are just as crowded as Carnival festivities abroad and the concept South South West music truck could be expanded to replace the Carnival floats. Owru Yari 2013 actually featured Carnival-like dancers on the second truck and Owru Yari has been compared to Carnival on several occasions. However, the partying is where the similarities between Carnival and Surifesta stop. With Surifesta we celebrate Owru Yari, the end of the year, with Kawina music and Pagara’s, which is significantly different from a Carnival Parade. Also, the inner city of Paramaribo has become so crowded, debates have started whether the music truck should even be allowed in some parts of the city on December 31st.
Avondvierdaagse (AVD), The Surinamese Alternative To Carnival
There is however, another event, which does not have to be seen as the Surinamese version of Carnival, but could definitely be a great alternative the Carnival celebrations in Suriname. The ‘Avondvierdaagse’ (AVD) is an event, which in many ways can be compared to Carnival, as it is known on the Caribbean Islands. A cultural show with a yearly theme, which allows different groups to show their creativity. Like Carnival, participating groups sometimes start preparations far in advance of the AVD and finishing the AVD gives a certain pride.
Of course, there are also several differences. De Avondvierdaagse is traditionally meant as an event focused on health and if you consider the amount of partying that takes place during Carnival celebrations worldwide, Surifesta would seems like a better fit. However, the Parade itself, which is highlighted by several hot spots, does give a certain appeal which is comparable to Carnival. Another difference is of course that the Avondvierdaagse takes place in April, when the Carnival season internationally has been long gone. Compared to Suriname, Guyana has the advantage with Mash being in February and aside from Valentine’s Day (commercially already one of the most succesful dates in our Country) there is no real reason to push for a big festival in February without sufficient support of the local community. However, if Saint Martin can move its Carnival to April for commercial reasons, why can’t we?
Tan bun,
Jean-luc
Jean-luc van Charante MSc. MA. is an entrepreneur, Rotarian and Suriname Ambassador. With INEFFABLE NV he helps companies to communicate in a relatable way through Social Media and Online marketing, by bridging new media and existing marketing/corporate strategies. As lecturer at FHR School of Business and through his brand @JeanlucSR he motivates and stimulated young professionals to develop themselves in the fields of entrepreneurship, leadership and marketing.
