Chanté Noël

In the days and weeks leading up to Christmas in Martinique, chanté Noëls abound. People gather, either in someone's house or outside, to sing (and dance!) to Christmas carols with live accompaniment. Food and drinks are served, and the party can go on into the wee hours of the morning.

The carols are all traditional Martiniquais songs, sung in Creole and in French. It being the West Indies and all, the songs have a decidedly Caribbean flavor.

All in all, it's a spirited, upbeat, energetic, uplifting and just plain fun tradition.

Here's a snippet from a chanté Noël I went to last weekend. This song is called "Michaud Veillait," and it's one of my favorites. The line they're repeating here, "Il vient, il vient," refers to the coming of Jesus.