Organisers abandon traditional physical celebrations in observance of COVID-19 health protocols

Jamaican Maroons are going virtual in hosting their annual Accompong Maroon Celebrations in St. Elizabeth in two weeks.

On January 6, 2021, the Accompong Maroons will for the first time in 283 years not be physically commemorating their annual celebration, where hundreds of Maroons and visitors local, regionally and internationally gather to celebrate and feast. The Accompong Maroon Festival is a cultural celebration that commemorates over 200 years since the signing of the peace treaty between the Maroons and the British.

The festival marks the victory of the First Maroon War against the British in which they fought for their freedom, led by their late hero, Cudjoe. The activities highlight the life of the heroic Maroons through singing, dancing, storytelling, cooking and more.

Virtual celebration on offer

This year’s upcoming celebration will be held virtually. All ancestral celebrations will be observed in appreciation of their freedom fighters. The day’s activities begin with ritual proceedings at 10:00 a.m. followed by the civic ceremony that culminates at 5:00 p.m.

Organisers have abandoned the traditional physical celebrations in observance of the government’s COVID-19 health protocols, which bans large gatherings. In addition, the concern for community spread of the global pandemic has been enough to render the organised event inadvisable, according to the current prohibition.

About Accompong

Local Maroon celebrations will be limited to prescribed numbers in and around the community and all COVID-19 protocols will be strictly observed. Accompong (from the Akan name Acheampong) is a historical Maroon village located in the hills of St. Elizabeth. It is located in Cockpit Country, where Jamaican Maroons and indigenous Taíno established a fortified stronghold in the hilly terrain in the 17th Century.