I am sure by now for those of you that are connected to me , following me , reading my stories, its evident i love my country 

My  twin island is made up of trinidad ,the bustling busy city and tobago , the idylic, laid back holiday island ,home to the largest species of humming bird and nylon pool  , an ecosystem of  sun ,sea, calypso and soca music , steel pan , chutney , the best street food and an abundance of flora and funa , and natural reserves , homean abundance of wildlife , butterflies and one of the largest pitchlakes and the largest savannah in the world

We are also known for our cosmopolitan melting pot as we are a blend of cultures and ethnicity , the two major being African and East Indian , eauropeans, syrians, french , originial frist people , the caribs and many from other nations that have made the island home , a huge caribbean population as well as more recently venezuleans, colombians, indians,nigerians and many more , but we all exist in harmony . 

Its carnival around the world and we are known for one of the biggest most colorful celebrations  , coined the greatest show on earth , which took place recently and our creativity was on full display , Carnival celebrations usually begin from Boxing day of the previous year with parties, that we call fetes, in all descriptions, there are the high end , day fetes and all inclusives , that mostly takes place at the resorts or hotels  boat rides , and then the general ones that takes place at the parks and stadiums to accomodate the crowds, then the schools  for the kiddies and streets for all .

During this time theres an influx of tourist from all over the world as well as locals who return ,  especially this year there was an influx of visitors, from regulars to movie stars including NIki Minaj, who,s trinidadian by birth,  as we have not had celebrations for the last two years , the cruise ships came in with organized packages for those abroad to partake of the bands on the roads.

There many competitions, amoung the steelpan bands  culmulating in one big festival the week before carnival called Panorma on the greens , then theres  brass bands competition , soca and chutney   competitions and the crowning of the calypso monarch artiste , and many displays of the traditional mass in the city and communities . 

On the sunday prior to the festival on the roads, is the show called the Dimarche Gras , when the calypso monarch is crowned and the Kings and Queens of the bands in their eloraobe costumes via for the title of King or Queen of the year 

The big street party starts at 4am on the Monday with the J'overt Celebrations to mark the start of the festivities, its a mixture of the old traditions of carnival, mud mass, oil, old mass , so you wear whatever you want and just chip  and dance to steelband music or DJs on trucks, but of late its getting more fancy with organized bands , with paint and foam and masquraders dressed in colorful tshirts, with blinking head bands so they can be seen in the wee hours of pre dawn , there are competitions points where contestants poke fun at politicians or highlight the latest baccahnal or hot  news topic , or raise a social issue, its usually a comical display.

Then its on to Carnival Monday celebrations from around 10 am, well organised, bands,  using the latest technology to keep united is accompanied on the road with ,huge music trucks, food trucks and bars ,cool down trucks , portable bathrooms with powder rooms , complete with full security .costumed masquraders can be seen in what they now term monday wear , a simplier costume or t shirt and shorts or whatever you desire and on tuesday ,its full costume from as early as 8am ,some bands choose to pass at all competition points ,while some just go to particular stops just enjoying the street party, there are designated rest stops along the routes.  

Many people have complained that we are slowly moving away from the abundance of creativity to more bands ,that are as much as 5000 strong that just wear bikins and feathers , because its all about business, fashion trends and less of culture , but still there are many designers who  are using technology to create digitial printed fabrics and amazing concepts that offer more fashionable costumes with a distinct concept and storyline.  .Its a business for many band promoters and so carnival costumes  tickets for fetes , bookings for hotel, for all inclusive experiences are all marketed online on various websites and on social media platforms.

If you are an avid traveller and love a good street party and have the energy then it may be an option for your bucketlist, or you can enjoy a road trip to the beach or eco retreats .

This years event ended on a high as it was deemed one of the safest, was a great event as the sun shone in all its glory , security forces were out  in full force to ensure safety , the savannah and parks were filled with families all gathered to see the bands pass by , while they enjoyed the music , food ,shopping from the vendors.

And for those not partaking ,its a fun   trip to  Carnival camp ,or famiky tripto the beaches on the outskirts of the islands ,or comfortably on your couch in front the tele with your favorite snacks 

Ash Wednesday which   follows the festivities is usually a cool down with events on the beaches , as tourist and locals soak up the sun and relax, with a cold carib and our famous bake and shark, a good roti, or pelau   in preparation to return to work ,a flight  and life as usual .

And this according to , "Canadian personality Lilly Singh has returned to Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival and expressed her admiration for Trinidadian stamina after playing J'Ouvert.

Singh, who has visited Trinidad and Tobago for Carnival before, returned for the twin-island republic's first full Carnival street party in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Posting to her Instagram stories after playing J'Ouvert on Carnival Monday, Singh said Trinidadians are just "built different" - she might be right!" credit @loop news 

https://www.discovertnt.com/

https://globalcarnivalist.com/2023/02/21/25-photos-from-trinidad-carnival-2023-the-greatest-fete-on-earth/