Editing Cayenne (section)

== Culture ==
=== Carnival of Cayenne ===
{{Main|Carnival of Cayenne}}

The [[carnival]] is one of the major events of the capital. It takes place between [[Epiphany (holiday)|Epiphany]] in early January and [[Ash Wednesday]] in February or March.

==== Description and origin ====
[[File:Carnavalcayenne1.jpg|thumb|Carnival parade in the streets of Cayenne in 2006.|alt=Carnival parade in the streets of Cayenne in 2006.]]
[[File:Défilé2007.jpg|thumb|left|Carnival parade in Cayenne in 2007]]

This festival is part of the [[Guianan Creole]] culture. It was originally a carnival as practiced in Europe. In early [[colonization|colonial times]], the settlers held the carnival, but it was forbidden to slaves. Braving the ban, slaves Held clandestine festivals to regain some freedom, celebrate Africans, fertility and harvest, and make fun of the settlers.

The fat days close the carnival:<ref name="Guyane Guide">{{cite web|title=Le Carnaval – Une institution en Guyane|trans-title=Carnival: An Institution in Guiana | url=http://www.guyane-guide.com/dossiers/carnaval.htm|work=guyane-guide.com|date=2005-08-17|access-date=2020-01-17}}</ref> 
*Fat Sunday: day of the grand parade, the biggest carnival parade, where groups compete for prizes for their performance.
*Fat Monday: burlesque marriages; men dress up as brides and women as grooms.
*Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday): carnival goers parade as Diab rouj (red devils), everyone dressed in red and black.
*Ash Wednesday: she-devils dressed all in black and white bury Vaval, the king of the carnival.

==== Carnival of the streets ====
Groups disguised according to the theme of the year march to the rhythm of drums and brass in a parade around decorated floats. These groups prepare for months for to parade in front of thousands of spectators massed on the sidewalks and the stands erected for the occasion.

The  best-known groups are:
* Kassialata
* Reno Band
* OsBand
* les Belles de la Madeleine

Brazilian bands just like to those at the [[Rio Carnival]] are also appreciated for their alluring rhythms and costumes, and Asian community of Cayenne brings dragons to the parade as well.

==== Masked balls ====
{{Main|Touloulou}}
[[File:Touloulous.jpg|thumb|[[Touloulou]]s in the Cayenne streets in 2007.]]

Nightclubs, called "universities" in this context, organize masked balls in which men come to dance with [[Touloulou]]s at soirées held on Friday and Saturday nights. This tradition is peculiar to French Guiana, and does not exist anywhere else.

The carnival dances are the [[polka]], [[mazurka]], [[biguine]] and {{lang|gcr|piké djouk}}. The Touloulou invite the men to dance, and the men cannot refuse. Only Touloulous have the right to dance, and if a undisguised woman tries to dance, the orchestra stops playing.<ref name="Guyane Guide"/>

Since the 1990s, tololo parties have been held where men disguise themselves and play the role of the Touloulous, inviting undisguised women to dance. These evenings are more and more popular and take place several times during the carnival.

'''The family carnival'''

Families gather every week to eat [[king cake]], a European tradition   observed throughout the carnival. The cake can be frangipane, cream, coconut or [[guava]].

After the abolition of slavery in 1848, the economy of French Guiana was devastated, and much of the population lived by working the land in “habitations”. People farmed and knew the value of working together. The tradition of the king cake was born in the Guiana of this period, or more precisely, “rend le bouquet”. One couple organized the meal and celebration, and at its end designated the couple who would organize the following gathering by handing them the bouquet.