The Tobago Heritage Festival’s village presentations begin in earnest tomorrow with Charlotteville’s Natural Treasures.
On Wednesday, the action shifts to Pembroke for its presentation, Salaka Feast.
Then its off to Les Coteaux on Thursday for Folk Tales and Superstition and the Moriah Ole Time Wedding on July 30.
After a two-year hiatus, the festival, now in its 35th year, returned to an in-person audience on Friday with a gala opening at the Shaw Park Cultural Complex.
The theme of this year’s heritage festival is Reflect, Rebirth, Rejoice – Reigniting the Flames of our Legacy.
Charlotteville organiser Annette Nicholson-Alfred told Sunday Newsday the village’s presentation will follow the typical format with some changes.
It is essentially a re-enactment of the traditions and way of life of the community.
Scheduled to start at 9.30 am, the presentation begins with a procession from historic Fort Campbleton into the village.
Fort Campbleton, one of several on the island, offers a breathtaking view of Charlotteville and its environs.
It was established by the French during its occupation of Tobago back in the 1700s and is a haven for locals, visitors and even students preparing for exams.
During the walk, there will be singing, chanting, dancing and drumming.
Participants will also be invited to stop at various junctures along the route to relive certain traditions.
Nicholson-Alfred, a Charlotteville native and well-known cultural activist, said the activity will be educational, enlightening and entertaining.
One of the stops, she said, features what is known as the washing of the “dead bed.”
In this ritual, the dirty clothing of the deceased is removed from the home of the deceased and taken to the river to be washed and dried. The clothes are then taken back to the home in neatly packed basins.
The washerwomen protect themselves from the spirits of the deceased by washing their hands and faces with some alcohol. They also wash the “dead bed” with soap.
The former independent senator said participants will also learn about the history of cocoa in Charlotteville before Hurricane Flora devastated the industry in 1964. They will also learn about the art of making and dancing the cocoa.
She said baking was a common activity in Charlotteville as most houses were equipped with dirt ovens. Villagers also regularly took turns using some of the ovens, which were heated with bamboo and wood.
Nicholson-Alfred said at the village bakery, which also played an integral party of life in the village, one could have gotten home-made bread, cakes, sweet bread, coconut tarts, pine and other delicacies.
She said the “batty mill,” a piece of equipment used for making sugar cane juice in olden times, will also be on display.
Unlike previous years, Nicholson-Alfred said there will not be a concert at the end of the procession. Instead, entertainment will be interspersed during the stops along the trek.
Why is Charlotteville’s heritage presentation unique?
“It is different from many because w
