By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGON, D.C., December 25, 2020 — Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s Boxing Day (December 26) and New Year’s Day (January 1) junkanoo parades in Nassau, Bahamas, my native country, have been cancelled. Starting at midnight tonight, Bay Street, the main street in the downtown business area of Nassau, would have been jam-packed with natives and tourists lining the major thoroughfare to view the popular cultural festival.
Over the years since her husband Sidney Williams was United States Ambassador to The Bahamas from 1994 to 1998, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Chairperson of U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Committee, and Mr. Williams have visited Nassau often over the Christmas holidays as house guests of Sir Franklyn Wilson, Chairman of Sunshine Holdings Limited, and his wife, former President of The Bahamas Senate Lady Sharon Wilson — with whom they became close friends during Mr. Williams’ tenure as U.S. Ambassador to The Bahamas – and they always had front-row seats at the Junkanoo parades.
They were among the thousand of spectators who viewed the Boxing Day parade on December 26, 2018 and they also ushered in the 2019 new year in Nassau and enjoyed the New Year’s Day junkanoo parade.
Having participated in Junkanoo parades in my youthful years as a member of the SAXONS, which historically has been one of the top junkanoo groups in The Bahamas, I really missed not being able to see the parades in person during the years I have been living in Washington, D.C., if I didn’t visit home for Christmas.
The last time that I did see a parade in person was 2014 when I visited Nassau for Christmas. During the years that I spent Christmas in D.C., I always looked forward to watching the parades televised live on the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas ZNS-TV, but this year that’s not an option because the parades have been cancelled.
So, from early in the afternoon, I have been watching a cavalcade of past Junkanoo parades on Bay Street, and shortly after midnight tonight I shall transport myself mentally to Bay Street in downtown Nassau as I watch some more videos of past Junkanoo parades.
For my American friends who have never enjoyed the experience of seeing our annual Junkanoo festival, here’s a link to a sample of the mesmerizing allure of Junkanoo. THE MIGHTY SAXONS 2012 NEW YEAR’S JUNKANOO PARADE LAST LAP: https://youtu.be/X5ajdjoyxvc
