NINE MORNINGS FESTIVALNine Mornings is a unique Vincentian festivity associated with the Christmas season. Nine Mornings before Christmas, Vincentians awake in the early hours of the morning and partake in a range of activities, among them sea baths, dances (or in local parlance, fetes), bicycle riding and street concerts. In the rural areas, the final morning of the festivity usually ends with a steel band “jump-up”.
The origins of this festivity are clouded in some mystery, although the original tradition relates it to the ‘novena’ of the Catholic Church on the nine days before Christmas. It is believed that after the early morning church services of the Catholics, worshippers began walking the streets while others went for sea baths. From this the popular Nine Mornings festivity emerged. Although popular opinion has this practice as starting during the period of slavery, it was more likely to have been a post-emancipation practice. Celebrating 100 Years Of A Unique Vincentian Tradition Nine Mornings 2013"Vincentians will this year be celebrating 100 years of the annual Nine Mornings festivities. This unique tradition which was started in 1913 in St. Vincent & the Grenadines will be officially launched on Sunday 1st December 2013 with a street parade consisting of lighted flambeaus, traditional music of boom drums, stringbands and steelbands, costumed dancers and singers. The Nine Mornings Festival will run from December 15th to 24th with pre-dawn street concerts, caroling contests and community lighting programs. There are also a wide range of activities throuhgtout the month with a variety of shows, fun events and exhibitions. It all climaxes on Old Year's Night with fetes and fireworks. Everyone is invited. So plan to be in St. Vincent & the Grenadines this December and bring the whole family to celebrate 100 years of Nine Mornings - a unique Vincentian Tradition!"
For more information on Nine Mornings Festival please contact: History of Nine Mornings FestivalIt is also believed that in the 1920s, a Vincentian member of the Dominican Order of the Catholic Church initiated a tradition of celebrating a Christmas novena in the early hours of the morning. Read more...
It was the procession home after the service, as the churchgoers wandered back to their houses, eagerly greeting friends with holiday blessings and peering in the still-shut shop windows, which developed into today’s celebration. Soon it became customary for the ‘boom drum’ bands, composed of musicians playing goatskin drums and wooden flutes, to accompany the walkers home. Street dancing, of course, was soon to follow, and in time, the character of the nine mornings’ celebration changed. Over the years the number of walkers grew, and with the advent of the steel drum band a carnival-style nine mornings tradition evolved. Street vendors joined the celebration, selling drinks made from ginger and sorrel as well as holiday cakes and sweets. A later addition was the tradition of the ‘carolers’ who went house-to-house singing Christmas carols.
Winners of 2012 Nine Mornings Competitions
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