Baptist Shouters Day

We have a holiday today to recognise the liberation of the Spiritual Baptists (Shouters). One of many holidays here in Trinidad that celebrates the different cultures.


THE OFFICIAL DEFINITION OF BAPTIST SHOUTERS

The people of Trinidad and Tobago observe March 30 as Spiritual Baptist (Shouters) Liberation Day. This national holiday, instituted in 1996, honors an African-American religious sect once outlawed in Trinidad and Tobago. The Spiritual Baptists originally came to the islands as former American slaves, who had fought for the British in the Revolutionary War. Their style of worship combined African and American Baptist beliefs and practices. Services include bell ringing, shouting, and high-volume singing and chanting. The colonial government of Trinidad and Tobago accused the Spiritual Baptists of disturbing the peace. In 1917, the government forbade the group (nicknamed the "Shouters") from practicing their religion. This law was overturned in 1951. The recently established national holiday honors the Spiritual Baptists' long struggle against religious persecution. It is observed with speeches and religious services.


We are going to have a lazy day in the pool and make a huge dish of lasagne for dinner. Might even have a glass of wine with it.

Carnival Was Great

What an experience, it was noisy it was colourful and the day was very hot. We had a wonderful time, will definitely go again next year. I may even wear my bikini!!!!!!
We took a total of 236 photographs but I won't show them all just a selection of some of the costumes.

We have also had an invitation to a Trinidadian wedding in April, looking forward to sharing customs of another country.

CARNIVAL 2011

Monday and Tuesday we are going to experience our first Trinidad Carnival.

We have bought tickets for the Coco Lounge where we will spend both days from 10 am -10 pm. The Coco Lounge is situated opposite one of the judging stations on the carnival route. There is going to be plenty of partying going on. We have already bough earplugs as the music is very very loud.

If I survive I will share pictures with you next week.

Some of the birds at the Asa Wright Centre

Just a few of the many birds we saw.

Missing Gill and Max

Gill and Max returned to the UK last week and the house seems very empty.

We had a wonderful time and enjoyed their company very much, we all ate too much drank too much and talked too much but it was fun.

We managed to see more of Trinidad and one of our favourite visits was to the Asa Wright Centre which is natural setting in the rain forest for hiking and bird watching. We went for the day and took the easy hiking trail ( which was not that easy. We saw so many brightly coloured birds which we wouldn't normally see in the city.

I am having trouble downloading some pictures will show you some of the birds when I sort it out.

We also went on the Caroni Swamp trip which is a natural swamp area where the National bird of Trinidad the Red Ibis comes home to roost at the end of the day in the thousands, quite the sight to see.

We returned to Tobago at the end of the three weeks and spent a couple of days there before saying goodbye at Tobago airport.


Thanks Gill and Max for a great few weeks see you in Grenada next year.