J'Ouvert is a traditional pre-dawn street celebration that serves as the opening of carnival season in Caribbean cultures. The term is drawn from the Antillean Creole Frecnh term jour ouvert. The term literally means "daybreak" or the "opening of the day."
The festival literally begins in the early morning, often between 2 and 4 am. The origins of the festival can be traced to Trinidad and Tobago in the 19th century and is connected to emancipation from slavery.
Some J'Ouvert traditions include getting messy. Participants paint themselves in bright paint, mud, oil and clay. They also dance and "chip," which is a slow walking movement to the beat of the music. "Chipping" occurs alongside steelpan bands, calypso and soca music and mobile sound systems
This tradition has been adapted by many Caribbean communities in the African Diaspora. One of the largest J'Ouvert celebrations takes place in Brooklyn, NY every Labor Day weekend.
Yesterday's celebration in Brooklyn featured 1 million revelers and started at 2 am. The event was organized by the West Indian American Day Carnival Association (WIADCA). he main carnival route included overlapping routes in Crown Heights and Flatbush.
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