Maroons Day in Jamaica
January 6 · Level 7 · #737 of 2238
The Maroons are descendants of Africans who escaped slavery, fled into Jamaica's hills and built free communities there. This day honours their ancestors and the independence they won against British colonial rule.
How it is celebrated: the main gathering takes place in the community of Accompong in the west of the island. People play drums, dance, share traditional food and listen to elders tell the community's story, while visitors from all over Jamaica come to join in.
In the old days Maroons used the abeng, a horn made from a cow's horn, as a kind of code. Its calls carried across the hills and warned neighbours of approaching danger.