The popular festivals in the Bahamas are closely related to its cultural wealth. Of the more than seven hundred islands which make up the country, only 24 are inhabited, but they are enough to mark a very complete calendar of festivities.

In order to understand the festivities and popular festivals of the Bahamas, we must bear in mind that the Bahamian population is a melting pot of different native customs. Taking into account that at present the population of the Bahamas is mostly of African origin, it is not surprising that their festivities have very important traditional roots.

The rest of the Bahamians are British, Americans and Canadians, who also contribute a little to the culture of this Caribbean country. Let's see, month by month, what the main popular festivals of the Bahamas are and what they consist of.

January

In the Bahamas, on 1st January, the New Year is celebrated, like in most of the rest of the world. However, the people of the Bahamas introduce their own tradition into the celebration of the New Year. For almost a whole day they devote themselves to the Junkanoo, a unique festival of the Bahamas, which is also celebrated on 26th December. Parades of elaborate costumes with percussion music and dances take to the streets. 

February

From 24th to 26th February, the Rum Festival in Nassau is celebrated, an authentic display of popular music, accompanied by tastings of authentic Bahamian rum. You can try different types of rum, as well as various dishes of the island's cuisine, while dancing to the rhythms of more traditional music.

March and April

In March, an important rugby championship takes place, the Bahamas National Rugby Sevens Team. This national championship attracts all fans of this sport to Nassau. If you don't like this sport, don't worry, because from 9th to 11th March the Bahamian Music & Heritage Festival takes place, with exhibitions, crafts, concerts and all kinds of cultural events.

In April, on the other hand, the most important event in the Bahamas is the National Family Island Regatta. A sailing championship whose tradition dates back to 1954, and which is one of the oldest traditions of the islands.

May

The month of May hosts different popular festivals in the Bahamas, including a Caribbean Music Festival, as well as the Jazz By The Sea festival. Other events take place, such as the Creative Nassau Market, where you can taste Bahamian cuisine, listen to traditional music and buy crafts in one of its many stalls.

The Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival takes place from 4th to 6th May in Nassau, so you can enjoy a lot of music, dance, gastronomy and visual arts events.

June

If you travel to the Bahamas in June, you can't miss two of the most iconic Bahamian events. First of all, the Pineapple Festival, which takes place from 1st to 5th June in Eleuthera. From cooking contests, to concerts, dances and sporting events around this tropical fruit, they all take place on the island.

And to continue with the gastronomic tastings, from 8th to 10th June, you can go to the Andros Crab Fest. The island of Andros, also known as the Land of Crabs, hosts this unique popular festival based around the crustacean. Contests, tastings, and lots of music and dancing accompany the event.

July and August

The summer months are also the protagonists of more well-known popular festivals in the Bahamas, such as Carnival Jumpin'n Jammin, Independence Day and Emancipation Day.

Jumpin'n Jammin is a carnival which runs from 25th July to 2nd August. A hullabaloo of parades, music and outdoor parties take over the island of Antigua for the enjoyment of locals and visitors.

Around 10th July, however, the Bahamian event that should be highlighted is the National Independence Day. The authorities hold numerous parades and events throughout the day, which ends with fireworks. The same goes for Emancipation Day on the first Monday of August.

But if there is a holiday in the Bahamas which we can highlight in August, it's the Goombay Summer Festival. This festival hosts many fairs, dance competitions, parades, and parties on the beach, as well as cultural and sports events.

September and October

We continue with the festivities of the Bahamas to go to the Great Bahamas Seafood Festival, another festival related to the cuisine of marine origin. And we arrive on 12th October, when the famous Discovery Day is celebrated, which commemorates the time when the Arawak Indians discovered European sailors on their shores.

November and December

Film lovers will enjoy the Caribbean Film Festival if they are in the Bahamas, specifically in Nassau, Eleuthera or Grand Bahama Island, from 2nd to 5th November. 

You already know the popular festivals of Bahamas and when they are celebrated, now all you have to do is plan your trip so that you can enjoy some of them.

When deciding what to eat in the Bahamas, the products you’ll find most are fish and seafood. The island's cuisine is based mainly on seafood, as well as stews, salads, and of course tropical fruit.

As we have already anticipated, fish, shellfish and molluscs are part of the customary dishes in the Bahamas. Among them, the conch, which is a common snail in the country, provides the base of one of the most famous dishes of the Bahamian cuisine.

Of course, lobster, crab and all different types of fish make up the key ingredients of typical Bahamian dishes. Let’s see what these dishes are, and how they’re made.

Marinated Conch

The snail of the Bahamas is eaten in many different ways; it can be eaten raw, fried, steamed, boiled, as fritters, with salads or in soup. As you can see, this white meat mollusc goes a long way, but one of the traditional recipes is Marinated Conch.

To make it, several spices, coriander, chopped onion, vinegar, lemon juice and a bit of coconut milk are used. It can be served with a fresh vegetable salad, as a garnish for other fish dishes, or on its own as a starter.

Conch Burgers

Another way of eating these Bahamian snails is in the form of a burger. To make it, the snails are fried in batter, or cooked on a grill or in a pan. It is presented like a normal beef burger, then it is served with chips and hot sauce, as well as salad leaves.

Steamed Lobsters

Without a doubt, one of the customary dishes to eat in the Bahamas, especially if you like seafood, is Steamed Lobster. Once cooked, the lobster is served on a bed of fresh salad and accompanied with spicy salsa. Needless to say, the quality of lobster in the Bahamas is exceptional, and its flavour is truly exquisite.

Lobster Curry

Once again, lobster is used to make another of the star dishes of the Bahamian cuisine. For this dish, onion, butter, curry powder, lemon juice, coconut milk and a little flour and salt are used in addition to the lobster. It is served with white rice and is quite delicious.

Papaya Salad

Fruit is also a component of traditional dishes eaten in the Bahamas. As well as having many vitamins, papaya, in this case, is used to create a refreshing salad. Green pepper, tomato, onion, boiled eggs, coriander, oil, vinegar and a little salt is added to the diced papaya. Whether to have it as a starter or snack is the question.

Baked Snapper

One of the most common fish in the Bahamas is snapper, which can be prepared in many ways; it could be cooked on the barbecue, grilled, or in this case, baked. To prepare this typical Bahamian dish, onion, tomato, butter, pepper and herbs and spices such as thyme are used. It is baked for about an hour, and served with white rice or salad, depending on the island.

Bahamian Style Chicken Soup

Although chicken is not one of the main ingredients used in these Caribbean islands, chicken soup however is a traditional dish which you can eat in the Bahamas. To make it, a chicken and vegetable base is used, to which chilli and different vegetables are added. It is mostly eaten by Bahamians over the weekend as part of their culinary tradition.

Rice and Peas

During your trip, you will see that rice, as an accompaniment, is a key component of customary Bahamian dishes. In this case, instead of accompanying fish, rice accompanies peas. To prepare it, usually a pea stew is prepared, which can also be made of beans, and served with white rice, all seasoned with spices.

Desserts and drinks are worth mentioning separately, as they will also leave you with a good taste. When it comes to desserts, be sure to try Coconut Floating Islands, Johnny Cake, or Guava Duff, which we will talk about next.

Guava Duff

In the desserts section, as well as fresh fruit, you will also find the famous Guava Duff. To make it, guava, brown sugar, nutmeg and salt are used, as well as flour, eggs and butter. When it is cooked, a splash of Bahamian rum and the remaining pulp of the guava is added.

To finish, you can accompany this delicious gastronomic trip through the Bahamas with a Switcha, the country’s traditional fruit-based drink, coconut water, or a Kalik, the most popular Bahamian beer.

There is a long list of things to buy in the Bahamas during your trip the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.  This country forms part of the Caribbean or Antillean Islands, and with its more than 700 islands, it offers you a paradise of the most original typical products and souvenirs.

This country, where Christopher Columbus first landed, was a Spanish colony until 1648, becoming part of the British Empire in 1718. It had to wait until 1973 for independence, when the country finally managed to become free.

The population of the Bahamas, originally formed by the Arawak indigenous people, is currently the result of mixing between Europeans and African slaves. This ethnic mix, along with the cultural mix, is what characterises the typical products of the Bahamas.

Within the variety of objects to buy in the Bahamas, the most typical and the ones all tourists take home, are the following:

Straw products

The best known souvenirs of the Bahamas are the products made with dried palm leaves. They make baskets, sombreros, wallets, fans and many typical items of the country. Without a doubt, one of the things to buy in the Bahamas which is most representative of the Bahamian culture are these handicraft objects.

The best place to buy these typical products are the Nassau Straw Market, and Port Lucaya Marketplace in Freeport.  

Jewellery made out of shells

Empty shells that are left are tasting their delicious contents on some typical menu of the Bahamas, are used to create jewellery items.  On crafts stalls and in many jewellers you will see necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other accessories made from this material.

In addition, a type of pink coloured pears are also used for jewellery which are valuable due to their rarity. If you want to surprise your friends and/or family with a unique souvenir from the Bahamas, choose a piece of jewellery with pink pearls.

Batiks

Batik fabrics are another of the typical products to buy in the Bahamas. These colourful fabrics with exquisite designs, such as corals, flowers, sea horses, etc., are weaved by hand to make unique clothing and table linen.

You will be able to choose your gift in many of the main markets, you will see the sellers presenting their batik fabrics on the floor, so that you can admire their colours and designs. 

Pine seed dolls

This expression of local handicrafts uses the native pine of the Bahamas which grows in the forests of Grand Bahama, Abaco, Andros and New Providence. With the seeds of this pine tree which is native to the islands, they hand make beautiful and different dolls. If you are looking for a unique gift to buy in the Bahamas, whether for children, or as a souvenir of your visit to the country, this could be a good idea.

You will be able to find these dolls in Festival Place, a market with almost fifty different types of handicraft stalls.  You will also find them on the stalls of sellers from other markets on the islands.

Junkanoo art

Junkanoo is one of the most typical musical expressions of the carnival of the Bahamas, but is also a culture in itself.  With clear African influences, the Junkanoo art comprises of making shiny dance outfits decorated with feathers and beads, and elaborate headdresses and masks used during the processions.

These creations are so famous that there is an entire market of reproductions and miniatures that represent the beauty of this colourful and virtuous decorative art.  You can buy a souvenir of Junkanoo art in most of the gift shops.  

Wood carvings

Handmade wood carvings are another of the items to buy in the Bahamas and they are sold in the markets and souvenir shops all over the country.  You can often see the artisans on their market stalls, giving life to a new creation with their utensils, whilst they sell all types of carved ornaments and decorative wooden items.

Within the wide range of wooden souvenirs, you will be able to find bowls, salad bowls, plates, etc., decorated with animals of delicate geometric figures.  Carvings of sea creatures like turtles and tropical fish are another of the items which are most sold to tourists, and one of the most typical famous products from the Bahamas.

Rum and other products from the Bahamas

In addition to handicrafts, one of the most typical souvenirs to buy in the Bahamas is rum.  Used to make the delicious cocktails the tourists savour by the sea, Bahamian rum is high quality.  Local specialities such as Yellow Bird or the Bahama Mama, will delight your friends.

Another option if you don’t want to buy a bottle of rum as a souvenir of the Bahamas is to buy a rum cake.  This dessert is one of the favourites of the island’s visitors, and of those who love something sweet.  Another delicacy you can buy to take home is one of the delicious and natural jams from the Bahamas.  Plan your trip to the Bahamas now!