کارناوال ناتینگ هیل

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Notting Hill Carnival

The Notting Hill Carnival of London is the second biggest carnival in the world and the biggest street festival in Europe! It is always on the last Sunday and Monday in August which is a Bank Holiday (a public holiday) in the United Kingdom. On Sunday there is the Children’s Carnival. The Carnival takes place in Notting Hill, West London. When did the first Carnival take place?

In the 1950’s people from the Caribbean, and in particular from Trinidad, emigrated to Britain. They took their customs and traditions with them. People remembered the great Carnivals held in the West Indies and in 1964 a street festival took place in Notting Hill.

There were few people in costume dancing in the streets and carrying steel drums in this first festival. However, it was a great success.

Since then Carnival has taken place every year in Notting Hill and it has grown into an enormous multicultural arts festival.

Carnival celebrations normally take place before Easter, in the month of March. However, in Britain the celebrations take place in August when the weather is warmer. During the year the West Indian families prepare their beautiful costumes seven and and practise playing their steel drums. They also work on their floats.

On the days of Carnival, Notting Hill is full of colour, excitement, music, noise and people. About two million people go to Carnival every year!

People with wonderful costumes dance in the streets and steel bands play Calypso, the traditional music of the West Indies. They also play Soca, the traditional music of Carnival, a mixture of Soul and Calypso. It is also possible to hear reggae, hip-hop and jazz. A parade with colourful floats travels a half kilometres through the streets of London. There is a prize for the best float. It is sometimes almost impossible for the public to walk along the streets - the only way to move is to dance!

In the streets food vendors sell meat and vegetable patties, salted fish and other delicious West Indian specialities. Everyone has a good time!