Guadeloupe: Events

What is happening in Guadeloupe:

The island of Guadeloupe is deemed to be the center of the Caribbean's Creole culture, because it has a mixture of both the French and African influences. It also has a number of festive events from Carnival and Calypso celebrations.

January

• New Year's Day
• Epiphany or "Fete des Rois"

The day of Epiphany, January 6, marks the beginning of the Carnival season lasting until Lent. The carnival associations rehearse in the streets prior to the carnival.

February

• Shrove Tuesday - February 12
• Ash Wednesday

Shrove Tuesday: Carnival is at the height of frenzy and all business stop working for five days. There are big parades of float, costumed groups empty out onto the streets singing and dancing.

• Mid-Lent -a day of carnival in lent - Public Holiday
• Holidays - Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday

At the middle of the Lenten season there is one day in which people party and specifically dress in black and red disguises. The Easter Holidays are held either in late March or early April.

April

• Cockfight season begins

Information regarding information on any thing that occurs in Guadeloupe, including cockfighting can be obtained by calling the Tourism office, Tel: ++590-82.09.30.

May

• Labour Day - May 1 - Public Holiday
• Saint Patron's Day in Vieux-Habitants (Saint Joseph) May 3 - 5
• Saint Patron's Day in Petit-Canal (Saint Philipp/Saint Jacques).
• Victory Day - May 8
• Ascension Thursday - Public Holiday.
• Pentecost Holidays (start on the Thursday through Monday, with the Monday occurring eight weeks after Easter)
• Mother's Day - May 26
• Abolition of slavery - Public Holiday

June

• Day of Music - June 21
• St. Patron's Day in Baie-Mahault - June 21 (St. Jean Baptiste)
• St. Patron's Day in Moule (St. Jean Baptiste)
• St. Patron's Day in Deshaies (St. Pierre et ST. Paul)

Saint John the Baptist day is celebrated in many places in the predominant Catholic island.

July

• Festival Guadeloupe
• Forum of Arts, Crafts and Folklore in Sainte Anne Informations
• St. Patron's Day in Pot-Louis (Notre Dame des 7 douleurs) July 4 - 7
• Bastille Day - Public Holiday July - 14
• Victor Schoelcher Holiday - Public Holiday July 21
• St. Patron's Day in Goyave (Sainte Anne) July 26
• St. Patron's in Sainte Anne (Sainte Anne) July 26
• St. Patron's Day in Capesterre de Marie-Galante (Sainte Anne) July 26

The Guadeloupe Festival is an annual summer event, which begins on July 1 and runs until August 31.

August

• Tour of Guadeloupe - International bicycle race
• Miss Guadeloupe Beauty Contest
• Festival of Traditional Music in Moule
• Cooks' Festival
• Assumption Day - Public Holiday - August 15
• Fishermen's' Days, Marina of Saint Francois - August 15 - 16
• Day of the Patron and Fishers' Day at the Saintes, Terre-de-Haut - August 15
• Saint Patron's Day in Grand Bourg at Marie-Galante
• Saint Patron's Day in Pointe-Noire (Notre dame de Bon Port)
• Saint Patron's Day in Trois-Rivieres
• Saint Patron's Day on Desirade - August 15
• Saint Patron's Day in Petit Bourg - August 15
• St. Patron's Day in Sainte-Rose (Sainte Rose de Lima) - August 23
• St. Patron's Day on Saint Bartholomew - August 24
• St. Patron's Day in Saint-Claude (Saint Augustin) - August 25
• St. Patron's Day in Gosier (Saint Louis) - August 25
• St. Patron's Day in Bouillante (Saint Louis) - August 25
• St. Patron's Day in Saint-Louis at Marie-Galante (Saint Louis) - August 25

Cooks' Festival at which the women cook, to honour their Saint Lawrence, they bring baskets full of food to the cathedral, then parade through the city. This is followed by a banquet with dance that can be attended.

October

• St. Patron's Days Saint-Francois - October 04
• St. Patron's Day in Basse-Terre, district St. Francois (Saint Francois) - October 4
• St. Patron's Day in Anse Bertrand (Saint Denis) - October 09
• St. Patron's Day in Basse-Terre, district Ste Therese (Ste Therese) - October 15

November

• Cockfight season ends
• All saints Day, All Souls' Day, Holidays - November 01 -02
• Armistice Day - Public Holiday - November 11
• Saint Patron's Day in Gourbeyre (Saint Charles)
• Saint Patron's Days of Saint-Martin, Grand-Case - November 11
• St. Patron's Days in Pointe-A-Pitre (St. Pierre / St. Paul) - November 11 -18
• Day of Music - November 22
• Saint Patron's Day in Morne-a-l'Eau (Saint Andre)

The Day of Music is done to honour the patron of musicians, Saint Caecilia. Concerts are held in the streets and the churches.

December

• Feast of Pointe-a-Pitre districts
• Santa Claus' Day in Terre-de-Bas / Les Saintes
• Day of women merchants in Abymes (Immaculate Conception) - December 08
• Midnight Mass
• Traditional Masses for children, who are allowed to brig their Christmas gifts to church
• Christmas Day - December 25
• New Year's Eve parties - December 31 - Dining and dancing until New Year's morning

At the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve there are traditional dishes, which usually comprise of rice and beans, blood sausages and pork Colombo.

Events

• Events in Guadeloupe
• Events on Saint Barthélemy
• Events on Saint Martin (French part of the island Saint Martin)