Mashramani - Beautiful Guyana

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This article has been migrated to: Mashramani in Guyana – Celebrating the Republic

Mashramani In Guyana

The Mashramani festival takes place every year on the 23rd of February in Guyana and is meant to celebrate Guyana’s becoming a Republic on the 23rd of February, 1970.

Mashramani is an Amerindian word meaning “celebration after hard work”. Mashramani is one of Guyana’s national holidays. On this day, all businesses as well as schools are expected to be closed for the celebration of the holiday.

Mashramani celebrations take place on the main roads of the cities all across the country. Representatives of schools, businesses and other organizations dress in costumes depicting various themes and carry banners and floats which depict themes the groups are promoting. Loud music is carried on vehicles and the partakers of the celebrations dance their way from the starting point to another point where they will explain the meaning and themes of their costumes and floats.

A panel of judges will listen to and look at the performers of each group, assess the merit of their stories, their dance, their costume, their themes etc, and give them a ranking of first to fifth or sixth place (depending on how many groups there are).

After that there will be celebrations, drinking and merriment for the rest of the day and into the night.

Pictures:

Members of a group in Lethem, Rupununi Savannas taking part in the Mashramani celebrations

Some children in Lethem, Rupununi Savannas taking part in the Mashramani celebrations

Members of a group in Lethem, Rupununi Savannas taking part in the Mashramani celebrations

Man dressed in costume for the Mashramani celebrations

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