Regarded as one of the Caribbean’s greatest Christmas celebrations, the St Croix Crucian Christmas Festival, now in its 70th year, is returning next weekend.
This year’s event runs from December 11 through January 7 next year, returning in person for the first time since the onset of the pandemic.
The success of St Thomas Carnival’s official in-person return this past Spring, followed by St John this summer, has allowed the St Croix Crucian Christmas Festival to return with the due recognition of being the official close of 2022 Carnival season in the Caribbean and the season opener in 2023.
“The US Virgin Islands is proud to be the only destination in the Caribbean to host three carnival celebrations every year. Each of these festivals carry its own flair and flavours, while providing a unique experience friendly for both adults and children.”
Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte
“The US Virgin Islands is proud to be the only destination in the Caribbean to host three carnival celebrations every year. Each of these festivals carry its own flair and flavours, while providing a unique experience friendly for both adults and children,” explained Commissioner of Tourism Joseph Boschulte.
Ian Turnbull, director of the US Virgin Islands’ Division of Festivals, said the theme for 2022 is ‘Reflections of Culture Music Mas and Revelry’.
He stated that those concepts “represent the local people and our meditation over our history, the impact of these last two years, and return to celebrate our culture but also our resilience as a destination to always recover and return despite any obstacles we face”.
FESTIVAL REPRESENTS WAY OF LIFE IN CARIBBEAN
This year’s festivities kick off with Prince and Princess on December 11 with a full slate of events from J’ouvert on January 5, 2023 to the Adults Parade on January 7, 2023. It’s a beloved event that has its roots in the times when enslaved people in the US Virgin Islands joined in Christmas celebrations, along with Puerto Rico’s Three Kings Day celebration.
Indeed, the festival “represents a way of life in the Caribbean,” the US Virgin Islands Division of Festivals says, explaining that, “visitors can celebrate with locals as they listen to music set to the rhythms of calypso, soca and steel pan music. They can dance with Moko Jumbies (stilt walkers and dancers), indulge in local delicacies, and experience all facets of the USVI’s diverse culture”.
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