Martinique Culture
Hana Schloz | 3rd Period
Pg. 104
One of Martinique's main attractions are the yoles rondes, or gommiers. They are very colorful fishing boats that are also used in races that people from around the world come to see.
Pg. 106
Aside from French, people from Martinique also speak Creole, a mix of African, French, and other European languages. Here are a few examples of the differences between French and Creole:
- oui/non = ouai/han-han
- chouette = i bon
- d'accord = d'acco
- c'est une bonne idee = ce'an bon bagai
- je ne peux pas = mwen pe pa
Pg. 109
Carnival is a famous celebration that takes place in many French-speaking countries, including Martinique. It takes place a week before Lent and, in Martinique, lasts until Ash Wednesday (in other countries it normally ends on Shrove Tuesday). It is a very colorful festival and is celebrated with music, dancing, food, parades, and costumes. At midnight on Ash Wednesday, however, the celebrations stop and Lent begins.
P. 110
Music and dance are major parts of Martinique culture, which mostly comes from the first Africans that were brought to the country as slaves. Now their music and dances exist in the form of the biguine, mazurka, and zouk.