Culture of Mero

Each village on the island has its own village feast, which is a celebration of that village. Village feasts happen throughout the year around the island, but Carnival is an island-wide festival that takes place throughout the Caribbean.

Dominica's Carnival celebration is known as Mas Dominik. It occurs before Lent and involves a "jump-up" celebration, as well as street parades and, of course, music. Wild costumes and calypso music are entertaining pieces of the celebration.

The annual World Creole Music Festival is held on Dominica each October. During the festival, bands from around the world gather to play Creole music. Many bands hail from Caribbean basin countries such as Haiti and Venezuela, but several groups from Europe have also taken the stage.

Language is also important in island festivals. The local Kokoy and Kwéyòl patois give the celebrations, particularly Carnival, a linguistic tradition with deep roots in many cultures.

Dominica's flag is just one part of a rich tradition of national symbols. Three stripes of yellow, black and white cross the flag vertically and horizontally. At the intersection of the stripes sits an emblem of a red circle emblazoned with a Sisserou Parrot standing atop a twig. Ten light green stars ring the parrot inside the red circle. Each element and color on the flag has a specific meaning.

The parrot is the national bird of Dominica and is shown on the flag and the coat of arms. It is a symbol of flying high and encourages islanders to aspire toward their loftiest goals.

The stars symbolize hope, but also represent each of the island's parishes. Their equality in the circle symbolizes the equality of all