Carnival in French Guiana is a major event. Its style is described as Afro-Caribbean. [1] A moveable holiday, it takes place between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, ending on Mardi Gras. [2] Known internationally for its Paré-masqué balls and its emblematic character, the Touloulou, it is considered the longest carnival in the world. The Carnival of Cayenne is an annual event held in Cayenne, French Guiana. Alongside the Kourou Carnival and the Saint-Laurent Carnival , it is one of the most significant carnivals in the region. The highlight of the carnival is the Parade of Cayenne (also known as the Parade of the Capital), featuring groups from Metropolitan France Read about Mardi Gras in French Guiana in 2025. Carnival Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, takes place on the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. Carnival 2024 in French Guiana The 2024 carnival season will be a very short 38 days, or 5 weekends between the reception of King Vaval and his cremation. During these weekends, you can attend the many parades organized every Sunday, mainly in 3 towns: Cayenne, Kourou and Saint Laurent du Maroni, following the decorated floats to the rhythm of The annual carnival is a major event in French Guiana. Although its origin is traced to European carnival tradition, the style of the event is described as Afro-Caribbean. The carnival season in French Guiana begins on January 6 (Epiphany) and runs through Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras). Upcoming holidays in French Guiana. Holidays in French Guiana 2025. Holidays in French Guiana 2026. Shrove Tuesday is the last day before the fasting period of Lent (for Western Christians), 47 days before Easter Sunday. Shrove Tuesday is also called Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday, or Pancake Day. Is Carnival / Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Day a Public French Guiana Public Holidays Mardi Gras 04 March 2025. Note: Regional observation only. Ash Wednesday 05 March 2025. Easter Monday 21 April 2025. Labour Day Carnival in French Guiana is a major event. Its style is described as Afro-Caribbean. A moveable holiday, it takes place between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday, ending on Mardi Gras. Known internationally for its Paré-masqué balls and its emblematic character, the Touloulou, it is considered the longest carnival in the world. Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, which takes place March 4, marks the party’s climax and the end of Carnival Season on the Gulf Coast. The conclusion falls the day before Ash Wednesday and is seen as a final day of feasting and revelry before the solemnity of Lent. In medieval France, Mardi Gras became a significant part of the Carnival season, characterized by masked balls, parades, and feasting. The name “Fat Tuesday” reflects the tradition of eating richly before the 40-day fast of Lent – in French, le Carême. This year, Mardi Gras falls on March 4th 2025. Anyways, French Guiana can boast of having the longest Mardi Gras season in the entire world. I took nearly a hundred photos of today's parade through the streets of Cayenne, the capital. I've selected some photos I'd particularly like to share. (Click on photos to enlarge). The parade is full of characters known in the Guianese culture and Carnival Tuesday, also known as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, takes place on the day before Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, the 40 day period that precedes Easter. As the date of Easter changes each year so does the date of Carnival Tuesday. French Guiana. The ornate handmade masks continue being/ are an integral part of Mardi Gras culture. To this day they symbolise the notion of freedom, of escaping class constraints and social demands. “Quand Mardi gras est de vert vêtu, Pâques met des habits blancs.“ (When Mardi Gras is dressed in green, Easter is dressed in white.) “Le soir de Mardi gras, il faut danser sur les fumiers pour avoir des navets.” (On Mardi Gras night, you must dance on the manure to get turnips..) “Mardi gras sous la pluie, l’hiver s’enfuit.” While Maroon art can be found in neighboring countries like Suriname, Hmong textiles and craft products are exclusive to French Guiana along with other kinds of art. Mardi Gras is one of the best cultural highlights in the territory, as the French Guianese celebrate one of the longest, most jovial and fascinating carnivals in the world. Dancing Through this tradition, certain dishes and foods have become staples during the carnival season and for mardi gras in France. 1) Les Beignets de Mardi Gras (Mardi gras donuts) One very popular type of mardi gras food in France eaten during the carnival season are carnival donuts, “les beignets” (pronounced Lay-Ben-YAY) or beignets de Carnaval. The final 4K footage of my drone flights in Cayenne, the Capital of French Guiana (Overseas Department of France); project finished & uploaded on 2020-04-14 Click on the Mardi Gras krewes below for further information about the krewe and to see their usual route for each parade. Please note: Events and activities are subject to change without notice. Stay tuned to the site for further info. The flavorful foods and brightly colored buildings and decorations in the French Quarter of New Orleans certainly aren’t the only things that draw in crowds for celebrating Mardi Gras. Enter, Mardi Gras drinks. While these festive libations can be sipped and slugged year round, most of them aren’t part of the classic cocktail roundup. Plan See also: upcoming public holidays in Brazil, South America, Suriname and worldwide. This page contains the list of upcoming French Guiana public holidays, bank holidays, government holidays, regional public holidays, non-working national holidays and sectorial holidays from February 2025 to January 2026.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |