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Hotel Zeelandia Suites ~ Phone: + (597) 424631
Kleine Waterstraat 1a, Paramaribo-Suriname ~ Fax: + (597) 424790 |
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‘Fireworks Relay’ in the entertainment district |
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Surifesta |
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At the end of the year many Surinamese who live abroad return to
Suriname to spend the holidays at home. |
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Photo: Surifesta
Multicultural music show
The first new year’s eve party in ’t Vat‘ in 1981 was quite
literally a resounding success. In the years following that, the
party grew until it spilled out of ’t Vat’ into the street, and
that was the start of the ‘street parties. The New Year’s Eve
Party became grander and grander, and in 1997 resulted in
Surifesta, our own national festival. Surifesta is now a
nationally recognized cultural event, but ’t Vat’ has remained
the hot spot of the festivities.
Surifesta usually lasts from the middle of December until the
first Sunday of January.
Please go to
www.surifesta.com for more
information.
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Carnival |
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Carnival is not a traditional Surinamese feast.
To most Surinamese, the Surifesta New Year’s Eve parties and the
evening four-day marathon are the Surinamese equivalent of
Carnival. But with the influx of many thousands of Brazilians,
the Brazilian Carnival is becoming increasingly popular.
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Surinamese carnival’t Vat’, 1986
Brazilian Restaurant Bacana started to organize a
Brazilian-style Carnival in the square of ’t Vat’ in 2000, and
it is becoming bigger and more spectacular by the year
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Avond 4-daagse |
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The Surinamese evening four-day marathon
has been an annual event of the BVSS
(Bedrijven Vereniging Sport en
Spel, Association of Businesses for Sports and Recreation)
in the Easter holidays (this year: April 14-17) since 1964. It
has evolved into a unique cultural parade with international
participants. |
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Thousands of people participate in the marathon (3000 annually
on average), which attracts many more thousands of spectators.
The parade always passes ’t Vat’ on one of the four days.
Please go to
www.bvss.cq-link.sr
for more information.
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Fête de la Musique |
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Fête de la Musique is celebrated in Paramaribo too. It used to
be held on the square of ‘t Vat’, but the last years this event
too has outgrown the location, so that Fête de la Musique now
spreads along a street in the entertainment district.
Photo:
Performance during Fête de la Musique |
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Keti Koti
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Keti Koti
means ‘the chains have been broken’, which refers to the
abolition of slavery, which is celebrated as a national holiday
on July 1. A kotomisi is woman (misi) wearing the
national Creole costume (koto). This dress has virtually
become the symbol of the free Surinamese woman, and is thus
associated with the end of slavery. |
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That is why a standard feature of July 1 is a parade of Kotomisi
on Independence
Square. There are also festivities in the Palm
Gardens of the Presidential Palace.
The annual swimming marathon
of about 18 km in the Suriname River starts in
Domburg and
finishes at the ‘Marinetrap’ in Paramaribo. Zeelandia Suites is
at a
short distance from the Palm Gardens, Independence Square
and the ‘Marinetrap’.
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Suriname Jazz Festival |
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The first Suriname Jazz Festival was held in October 2002.
Denise Jannah, Suriname’s Jazz Diva had the honour to entertain
the public during the maiden event. During the second festival
the Henry Wijnhard Global jazz trio and the Ronald Snijders Band
treated the audience to excellent classical, fusion and kaseko
jazz. |
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Ronald Snijders with young people
at Suriname Jazz Festival 2003
The festival closes with a ‘Grand Jam’,
inviting all festival participants to join.
The Suriname Jazz Foundation has a dual purpose:
Firstly, to develop the Suriname Jazz Festival into a large,
internationally known musical event that lasts a number of days
and attracts international participants. Secondly to stimulate
the musical education of Surinamese youth in particular.
For more information, please go to
www.surinamejazzfestival.com.
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Savanna
Rally |
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Photo
left
A lake in the savannah
Photo right
The old Vat with
a rally banner |
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’t Vat’ is also the home of the auto rally
sport. There were four VAT
Rallies between 1983 and 1986. The
fifth VAT Rally was in 2001, to celebrate the 20th anniversary.
Besides our own VAT Rally, many other rallies started and
finished at 't VAT’.
The most spectacular auto rally in Suriname is in the first
weekend of November. The vast savannah and savannah forests are
navigated for four days and some more nights. The extensive and
interesting location of this adventurous rally attracts more
foreign participants every year.
The Savannah Rally is organized by SARK
www.sarkonline.com
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Srefidensi |
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The word Srefidensi means ‘independence’. On November 25,
1975, Suriname became an independent republic. On this day too
there are all kinds of festivities on the Independence Square
and in the Palm Gardens of the Presidential Palace.
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Photo: Waterfront Art Festival - Srefidensi 2000
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