Haitians mark 222 years of independence around soup joumou as authorities again bypass Gonaïves

PORT-AU-PRINCE —  Around tables set beneath open skies, children, parents and elders gathered to play dominoes and cards while sharing bowls of soup joumou served in traditional calabash gourds, known as kwi in Creole. The scene marked the seventh edition of Konbit Soup Joumou, held Jan. 1 to commemorate Haiti’s 222nd anniversary of independence.

Hosted at the public high school Lycée National de Pétion-Ville, the celebration emphasized sharing, remembrance and unity — values rooted in Haiti’s founding after the defeat of Napoleon’s forces and the declaration of independence in 1804. Despite widespread insecurity fueled by gangs, political uncertainty and economic hardship, the grassroots initiative once again brought Haitians together around a powerful national symbol.

Organized by Gwoup Konbit, the annual event has expanded over the years to include participants across all 10 departments and in the diaspora. Soup joumou — once forbidden to enslaved Africans and later embraced as the first meal of a free people — was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2021.

“On Jan. 1, 2026, Haiti and its diaspora came together around a deeply universal symbol: the sharing of a bowl of soup, an act carrying memory, dignity and freedom,” said Roodlynail Théagène, Gwoup Konbit’s ambassador in Haiti. “Konbit Soup Joumou embodies active solidarity and a freedom inherited from our history and projected toward the future.”

This year’s theme, “Ann pataje yon bòl soup pou nou sonje kiyès nou ye” — “Let’s share a bowl of soup to remember who we are” — reflected a call for national reflection amid overlapping crises. Haiti continues to face widespread gang violence, mass displacement, a stalled political transition and the erosion of state presence beyond the capital.

While people gathered in neighborhoods and public spaces to honor independence, the Haitian government once again bypassed Gonaïves — the historic city of independence — holding official ceremonies in Port-au-Prince instead. Authorities have cited persistent insecurity and limited state control outside the capital for repeatedly relocating national commemorations.

At Villa d’Accueil, members of the Presidential Transitional Council (CPT), including its president, Laurent Saint-Cyr, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé and senior leadership of the Haitian National Police and Armed Forces attended the official ceremony. The event featured military salutes, a brass band and flag-raising rituals.

In remarks, Saint-Cyr acknowledged the country’s fragile state and pledged continued efforts to restore security and advance the political transition.

“There is a need for everyone to put the country’s interests first, as our ancestors did, so Haiti can take a new direction,” Saint-Cyr said. He added that the council and government were working with national and international partners to stabilize the country and prepare for a “transparent, inclusive and credible” electoral process.

The contrast between the grassroots celebrations and the heavily secured official ceremony underscored the widening gap between state institutions and everyday Haitian life. While authorities remained confined to the capital, members of the population continued to rely on cultural traditions like soup joumou to affirm identity, resilience and collective memory.

Across Pétion-Ville and the rest of Haiti, volunteers served soup, vendors displayed handmade goods and families lingered over games and conversation — quiet acts of resistance in a country still struggling to reclaim safety, sovereignty and national cohesion.

The following are some images from the seventh edition of  Konbit Soup Joumou and Haiti’s independence celebrations: 

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