The Bahamian festival held on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day is Junkanoo.
Junkanoo is a vibrant street festival centered on elaborate masquerade costumes, drumming, dancing, and competitive parades. In The Bahamas, its best-known parades take place on December 26, Boxing Day, and January 1, although Junkanoo-related celebrations can occur at other times of year.
The tradition developed in the Caribbean during the era of African chattel slavery. Its exact name origin is disputed: explanations include a historical figure called John Canoe and the French phrase gens inconnus, meaning “unknown people,” possibly referring to masked celebrants. The festival’s African, European, and Caribbean influences are visible in its music, costumes, and procession style.
A common mix-up is confusing Junkanoo with Homowo, a Ga festival associated with the people of Ghana. Caribana is a Toronto Caribbean carnival, while Crop Over is Barbados’s major festival. Modern Bahamian Junkanoo groups compete in categories such as music, costume design, and parade presentation.