🎭 Carnival Season , it's Time to Make Mask

Carnival - not just a party

Tis the season, not the Christmas season, but the Carnival Season! This season where we reconnect with our ancestors with joy as an act of resistance. I rather like that it goes directly into Rara season which ends at Easter. I've decided it should just be called "Joy as Resistance Season." (Check out our Ressources page on this)
 
I used to be in the uninformed camp and insisted that "this is just a party." But it's not, although Carnival coincides in date and name with the European celebrations. Carnival on this side of the hemisphere was sprung from the enslaved and colonized seeking ways to resist through music and dance. A non-negotiable across much of the Latin-American and Caribbean region is the celebration of Carnival. Even in economic conflict, when the drum beats drop, everyone's problems seem to fade away for just 3 days.
 
We have an exciting resource corner for you to celebrate this season with your kids, and of course, we have our Rara products.  
 
 - So grateful to be part of your village, Régine (Co-founder)
 
P.S. Check out these two relevant posts about the origins of this season for context and sharing.

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Mask Making Activity

Speaking to your kids about these topics is very hard, it's hard for us to navigate as a family as well. How do you explain to your child enslavement? Then how do you explain to them, what has or hasn't changed? Especially if their lived experiences have already taught them about injustice. 
 
I've found that contextualizing these conversations in "light-hearted" but intentional activities helps. This is why we produce so many of them for free on our site. We just added a Celebration is Resitance corner. Introcution can start young with coloring and grow to be more complex.
 
Check out this tutorial below 👇🏾 for mask making.

Watch the Tutorial

Download Activity Sheet

Caribbean joy is liberation - and liberation is never quiet

We get asked often if our Rara instruments are noisy. The answer is YES! They are real instruments made in Jacmel, Haiti. Fun fact, the kone is tuned to F Flat (ti fa).  So this is your sign to run and add some Rara instruments to your collection. Let those kids make all the noise in the house!
 Let them connect with their ancestors in dance during this season. (Before 8 PM of course 😉) Then tuck them to bed, because a day of dancing will leave them tuckered OUT. Plus, resistance * absolutely * needs to end at bedtime. 🛏️

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Let the kids make all the noise!

Good News Corner

Do you know a pre-teen/teen/young adult who could benefit from content about menstruation in Haitian Creole? Check out this Instagram page. 

"Period Bestie" --> - @am_rinaaaaa

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