The end of the year is an opportunity to take a break, put aside all the worries of everyday life and escape. It is also an opportunity to get together as a family and share strong and unforgettable moments. Many choose to go on vacation to the Caribbean. Guadeloupe is an interesting French destination located there. But what do you need to know about the end of year celebrations in Guadeloupe?
What festivals are celebrated in Guadeloupe in December?
Like everywhere in the world, Guadeloupeans also celebrate holidays in December. Le ChantĂ© Nwel is one of them. It’s the Guadeloupean version of Christmas, in heat that can reach 30 degrees. The country’s tradition is for families to come together in the family cocoon to dance and sing hymns from Advent to Christmas Eve. The words are in Creole and they are sung with a Gwoka. The latter is a traditional West Indian musical instrument.
Being always in a friendly mood, Guadeloupeans also go out into the streets or come to meet in churches to celebrate the Chanté Nwel.
The end of the year, therefore, the evening of December 31 is also celebrated in Guadeloupe. People go out and meet in various places like beaches, bars, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. to wait for the new year. They dance and sing with various instruments. They also feast on Caribbean culinary specialties of all kinds. Christmas ham, accras, rice, West Indian blood sausage, Angolan weights, cristophine gratin, coconut blancmange, etc. are examples of this. As a drink, Guadeloupeans love shrubb and ti’punch. They often also prepare rums flavored with exotic fruits.
At New Year’s Eve, the locals still celebrate and prepare feasts with various Creole dishes.
Why visit Guadeloupe at the end of the year?
Tourists can take advantage of the December holidays to discover the custom relating to Christmas which is the Chanté Nwel in Guadeloupe. This is an opportunity to get to know the country and its various traditions better.
We must not forget that the end of the year in Guadeloupe is very different from that in Europe. This opportunity is therefore perfect for enjoying end-of-year celebrations under the sun.
Vacationers don’t need to make special reservations at luxurious locations to relish the festive ambiance. Even in the middle of the street, they can meet up with the locals to spend great parties together.
How to get around during the holidays in Guadeloupe?
Certainly, it is possible to walk the streets on foot to enjoy the Christmas, end of year and new year celebrations in this destination. However, make a car rental in Guadeloupe remains an interesting alternative. This makes it possible to cover kilometers in a single day and therefore to see different aspects of these festivals in several places. For example, it is possible to see how people in towns celebrate Chanté Nwel and how villagers celebrate it.
Plus, renting a car is easy in this country. You must hold a category B driving license for a utility car. It is also necessary to have an identity document such as a passport. As for booking, this can be done via the internet via the rental company’s website. Tourists can also search for the cars that suit them once they arrive on Guadeloupean soil. This last option is not really recommended in high season because there are many requests.
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