COMMENTARY: Years when our Carnival days fall in two different months

Most of the materials in this article were originally prepared for and presented on the DID YOU KNOW feature segment of DBS Radio’s ‘Good Morning Dominica’ Programme while Steven Dangleben was a broadcaster at the ‘Nation’s Station’. These materials have since been modified slightly for this current article.

Dominica’s Carnival street jump-up has been observed traditionally on the two days immediately preceding the commencement of the Season of Lent (i.e. Ash Wednesday). These two days were traditionally referred to as ‘Lendi Mas’ or ‘Lendi Gwa’ and ‘Madi Mas’ or ‘Madi Gwa’ meaning, Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday respectively.

In most years, our two Carnival days are observed either in the month of February, or in the month of March.

The earliest dates that the pre-Lenten Carnival can fall, however, are on Monday, February 2, and Tuesday, February 3. Records show that the previous year that Carnival would have been observed so early in the year was in 1818, which was over two hundred years ago, but in those days – which was in the pre-Emancipation era – there was no Carnival. And so, the next time that the two Carnival days will fall on February 2 and 3, is 259 years from this year, i.e. in the year 2285 when none of us will be around.

On the other side of the coin, the latest possible dates for our pre-Lenten Carnival are March 8 and 9, and the previous time that both Carnival days occurred at the beginning of the second week of March was in 1943, which was 83 years ago.

Now, assuming that our Carnival dates don’t get moved away from February/ March, the next time that Carnival Monday and Tuesday will fall on March 8 and 9 respectively will be in the year 2038. So, we would have to wait another 12 years to see the longest possible Carnival season in any one year again.

But, importantly, have you ever observed that in some years Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday fall in different months, i.e. Carnival Monday on the last day of February and Carnival Tuesday on the first day of March, as would have occurred as recently as 2022 had the COVID-19 Pandemic not forced the cancellation of the Carnival party? When Carnival dates fall in two separate months, Ash Wednesday automatically falls on  March 2, as occurred in 2022.

Prior to the year 2022, the four most recent times that Carnival dates straddled the months of February and March were 1927, 1938, 1949, and 1960.

You may have also observed that periods of 11 years elapsed between those successive ‘straddlings’? E.g. 1949-1938 = 11; 1949+11 = 1960.

According to information sourced from the internet, after 2022, the next three years when the pre-Lenten Carnival will fall in February/March are in 2033 – when the dates will be  February 28, and March 1; 2044 – when the dates will be February 29, and March 1, because that year will be a Leap Year, and 2112 which will also be a Leap Year and Carnival will be celebrated on February 29, and March 1. Periods of 11 years will also elapse between the 2022, 2033, and 2044 Carnivals.

On another note, are you aware that the reason why the dates of Easter Sunday move between the months of March and April is on account of the Moon, and the occurrence of one of its phases? Easter always falls on the first Sunday following the first Full Moon, after March 21. Hence, the earliest possible date for Easter Sunday is March 22, and that only occurs when there is a Full Moon on Saturday March 21?

And did you know that the previous time that Easter Sunday fell on  March 22, was in the year 1818, the same year that Carnival would have fallen on February 2 and 3. And the next time that Carnival Easter will fall on March 22, will not be until the year 2285, a year that few adults alive today will see.

So, enjoy your Carnival, or De Real Mas, or Mas Domnik – whichever way you wish to call the celebrations, irrespective of whether the dates fall in February, in March, or in February and March.