Jounen Kwéyòl

Jounen Kwéyòl (Creole Day) is celebrated in Dominica and Saint Lucia on the last Sunday of October across both islands, and has been held annually since 1984. On the Sunday of this week, the various towns on both islands host this festival by displaying the result of their grand preparations; local dishes and foods such as roast breadfruit, (Coupe) a sweetbread made by mixing spices and sugar into flour and kneading it then baking it, usually served at breakfast. Callaloo soup, Green Fig and Salt Fish (The National Dish of Saint Lucia), farine balls made with avocado and farine. Split pea dhal fried or baked pastry, plantain, king fish, Manicou (opossum), turtle, lobster, crayfish, callaloo made from fresh water crabs(backs), salt water crabs.Eel stew. Souse (a broth made with pork and often served with grated cucumber salad), fried bake and floats, Accra (a fried dough which contains salt fish), Paime (otherwise known as Conkies) and a famous dish known as Bouillon (a lentils/ red beans and pumpkin soup with pork or beef, green plantains,dumplings, spinach and chopped carrots. Also local drinks such as Cocoa Tea, breadfruit punch, Seamoss punch, Spice drink made by mixing local spices and various barks from medicinal plants with rum. Golden Apple Juice, Guava Juice,sour orange juice and more. Apart from the food part, the event is collaborated with kweyol music some of which have been past down to and from many generations. The most widely used instrument besides vocals are the Tambos (drums) and are beaten throughout as people speak in the creole language and have a merry time. Most people commemorate this day by wearing the island's National Wear such as the Wob Dwiete and Madras costume(Jip). Persons who do not want to wear the extreme layers of skirts and dresses make clothing out of special plaid material called Madras which is one of the cloths used in the national wear.