Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Dominica has announced the cancellation of Carnival 2021.
Public reaction to this decision has been mixed but the main question emerging is, will there be a revocation of the two scheduled public holidays of Carnival Monday and Tuesday which will fall on the 15th and 16th of February, next year.
It must be noted that according to the Public Holidays Act of 1907 which has since been amended several times, the President has the power to amend the schedule and the Act specifically provides that the President can order “that in a particular year any of the days specified in the schedule shall not be a public holiday”
Against this background, Dominica News Online (DNO) decided to do a short random survey of public sentiment on the matter. Here are the views a number of the individuals who were willing to speak to us.
Avril (Mahaut)– “I think the two days should not be given as holidays because if they are, people will find a way to go against what the government or police advise. Next thing you know someone pass with a truck or something and people going to follow. Dominicans too like whip on their back so they will never just stay home knowing what the day represents.”
Jason (Soufriere)– “I certainly believe that they should leave those two days as holidays. With all the anger from the cancellation of Carnival if some Dominica’s go to work they might fight with the computer or make it worse, those customers.”
Ericson (Salisbury)-“With no carnival, I don’t think the two days should be holidays. Usually holidays are at the expense of the business owners and seeing that the businesses have suffered so much loss, I believe that there should be work.”
Damian (The Valley)– Yes these two days should remain as holidays because there is no excuse not to recognize the significance of Carnival. If we can’t acknowledge and respect our own culture how do we expect others to do it for us. Some kind of online or virtual Carnival should be promoted instead of just shutting it down. This is so disrespectful to our culture and heritage.”
Petra (Bath Estate)– “No, these days should not be holidays. We have seen enough holidays from COVID-19. We had months of lockdown so 2021 should be the year of progress because this virus slowed down everything. We have to get back to business, get back to some form of serious economic life in the country. We can’t just allow people to sit at home and not do nothing and still get paid.”
Deshawn (Canefield)– “Yes we should still get our holidays. Carnival represents something bigger than just fete and jump up. No one is talking about canceling Christmas celebrations or even cancelled Easter holidays because these days have their significance so to just forget it because of COVID-19 would be a shame.”
Maureen (Goodwill)– “Let people go to work. What we going to do, stay home and mourn the loss of carnival next year. Dominicans too like holidays. If there is no carnival, there should be days off.”
Desmond (Portsmouth)– “As a Business man I can tell you businesses have suffered a lot over this period of time, and the government itself has experienced a significant reduction in revenue. Therefore, with the cancellation of carnival next year, I don’t see the need for the traditional holidays. The prudent thing to do is to use those days productively because the business owners will be at a loss.”
Kerry (Wesley)– “The two days in my opinion should remain as holidays and some virtual carnival should be organized by the government. I also believe the announcement of the cancelation of carnival was a bit too early. We are hearing about so much vaccines, I think government should have waited till next year to decide the way forward.
@Zandoli
You mentioned Caribana to bolster your argument but failed to refer to Antigua and Nevis. Why not?
You completely misconstrued the point about the business sector. I don’t want to get in a protracted argument but the business sector has to shoulder some blame for the anemic state of the economy. They have enough power to influence government policies. What do they do? They have greenlit the government’s misguided and corrupt policies.
For ALL of those who want to act like cancelling the mass gatherings means cancelling the holiday and what it represents, why dont we just cancell Christmas, Easter, August Monday, May Day and all the others? Since those are also holiday and days where people gather and free up. Why wasnt Independence day cancelled which is also a national holiday? The economic argument is debatable, but you cannot use one as a cause and effect. It costs businesses money to operate and open their doors. Why not open your business while people are out freeing up? I know supermarkets make money when people are eating and drinking. I know busses running when people want to move. Banks can open a half day. have a compramise. business can still run and people can still observe the holiday in whatever capacity it can happen.
These are very, very tough times. Our stress levels are at breaking point. Most people need a respite from the daily rigors of life that are being experienced at this moment in time.
For CARIBANA (Canada), CULTRARAMA (Nevis), CARNIVAL (Antigua & Barbuda) the holidays were given even though the events were cancelled.
Why not on these two days keep a VIRTUAL calypso show and other carnival-like events to give the people some form of cultural entertainment. The citizens need something to soothe their aching souls.
Those who proffer the argument that businesses will lose money, that’s a non starter for me. Most businesses underpay their employees for their laboru. They pay starvation wages considering the minimum wage in Dominica, LOWEST in the sub-region.
These extremely hard economic times are suffocating. The country needs the two holidays to exhale.
You mentioned Caribana was canceled, yet people got the day off. There is no relationship between Caribana and the civic holiday. That day was designated a holiday long before Caribana. Further, Caribana is a Toronto event and the holiday is a provincially regulated holiday which applies not only to Toronto but the entire province, Caribana or no Caribana.
Paying starvation wages has no bearing on whether people should get a holiday to sit home and do nothing. No company is forcing anyone to work for those wages. If the economy was doing better, there would be more competition for labor and therefore wages would be higher. Companies do not pay more than the market will bear. Don’t lay the blame at the feet of companies. The government should be to blame for the lackluster economy.
For the people who want to maintain the holiday status of those two days, theu need to remember the economic activity the surrounds carnival pays for itself. With no activity and no additional spending during that period next year, the two day holiday will be a net drain on the economy.
People should go back to work.