Haiti: Carnival celebrations February 11-13

Event

Haitian authorities have yet to announce the host city of the 2018 National Carnival, which will run from Sunday, February 11, through Tuesday, February 13. Meanwhile, the capital city of Port-au-Prince has announced its own event, although exact dates have yet to be determined. An influx of tourists is expected during each of the celebrations. As such, increased congestion at travel hubs, increased demand for hotels (and higher prices), and increased car traffic in the city (closed roads, affluence of revelers) is to be anticipated, along with business, store, and government office closures. Additional details concerning the events are expected to be released in the coming weeks.

Furthermore, rates of petty (and more violent) crime tend to rise considerably during the carnival period; increased security measures are to be anticipated.

Context

The National Carnival is traditionally held in Port-au-Prince. However, President Jovenel Moïse moved the celebrations to Les Cayes in 2017 in order to increase economic activity in regions devastated by Hurricane Matthew in October 2016. President Moïse had previously announced that the National Carnival would return to Port-au-Prince in 2018.

Haiti's carnival season typically starts in mid- to late-January. The festive period will extend over several weeks culminating in the Rara celebration, which takes place over Lent (February 14 – March 29).  Port-au-Prince's annual February carnival celebrations have been some of the largest Mardi Gras festivities in the Caribbean and North America. Rara is a unique Haitian celebration that is separate from the main pre-Lent carnival celebrations. The festivities and music have roots in peasant Easter celebration customs, and Rara is often referred to as "voodoo taken on the road."

Advice

Those present in Haiti during the carnival period are advised to exercise an increased level of vigilance regarding crime and to allow for additional time to reach destinations.