DATING CARNIVAL
  At this time of writing, the author of these pages is uncertain as to the historical authenticity of the dates for two events, the events that essentially define The Dating of Carnival:

  These questions only begin to scratch the surface of much wider issues; and lead on to the debate of What is Carnival?
 

THE PURPOSE OF THESE PAGES
  It is not the intention of these pages to provide any definite answer to the above questions, should there ever be an answer anyway, but only to stimulate continuance of this intriguing debate; and to provide a little guidance as to where to look, through time, to find a Carnival.

  To enter the debate about Carnival see - The Roots of Carnival
  To find out more about Trinidad and Tobago see - T&T New-World History
 

SOME DEFINING DATES
  To the thought of finding some realistic demarcation in time as to when fact may change to fiction; this cut-off point has been defined for this Carnival Dates For Historians page, by reference to the following material:

A reference by the cultural researcher, historian and author Gideon Maxime; to the beginnings of Carnival, from his radio presentation series Emancipation to Celebration (1997), in which he quotes others by stating:

  Pierre Gustave Borde in his writings [1883] held that both whites and Africans danced the Kalinda on Carnival days.
 
  Before 1838, when ever fire broke out on an estate, the enslaved Africans were sent to put out these fires. However, after 1838 the historian J.M. Fraser held that the Africans re-enacted this event by "making believe they were putting out fire".

[ THE 52nd ANNIVERSARY OF STEELBANDS ON THE STREETS - On-Line ]

  ...lead the author of these pages to suppose an initial cut-off date for Carnival as those that lie before 1838.
  This was next modified by the following material.

...An English officer, in 1826, wrote to a friend: "I wish Bayley you had been here in the time of the carnival. You have no idea of the gaiety of the place in [141] that season. Ovid's metamorphoses were nothing compared to the changes that took place in the persons of catholic Trinidad"...

[ Chapter 23; Pg 141 - 142 - On-Line ]

Slavery Days in Trinidad: A social history of the island from 1797 - 1838
© Carlton Robert Ottley (From Tobago) 1974 - Printed by Syncreators Ltd - Trinidad

  From the above; 1826 has been chosen as the present demarcation date, before which this page holds as for Reference to Historians only.
  It is expected that this demarcation should however change downward; as further information is accessed.

  25 June 2001 - tobagojo@gmail.com

The usual Oooops! Disclaimer

  This disclaimer applies to all The Carnival Dates Project - Trinidad & Tobago documents that indicate the dates Carnival Monday, Carnival Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and/or Easter/Sunday.

  For whatever reasons you are using the above mentioned dates, you are advised to please consult other sources to verify these dates. Neither Jeremy G de Barry, nor any contributors indicated on these documents, nor the host facilitators to these documents, may be held responsible in any way whatsoever, if these dates are incorrectly calculated or applied. The user assumes full responsibility for the consequences of using this information.

  Have a nice day
  tobagojo