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CAP-HAÏTIEN — Just a day after the announcement that the 2025 National Carnival will take place in Fort-Liberté, officials from Cap-Haïtien’s Town Hall launched their own carnival celebrations. On Jan. 19, the city unveiled a large, colorful sign on the Boulevard that reads “M Renmen Okap” in Creole, which translates to “I love Cap-Haïtien” in English.
“We already know that the national carnival will be in Fort-Liberté, so that’s a motivation for the northern region,” Deputy Mayor Patrick Almonor said during the ceremony.
“It’s a motivation for the private sector in the north to organize itself so that what happened in 2013 won’t happen again in 2025,” Almonor added, referring to his disappointment with the last time the national carnival was held in Cap-Haïtien.
In 2013, the national carnival was held in Cap-Haïtien, but all the revenue was sent to Port-au-Prince, Almonor claimed.
“Cap-Haïtien didn’t even get money from the carnival stands,” he said. “This year, I hope Fort-Liberté gets its 30% from the carnival stands’ leases.”
Models dressed in red, blue, and beige costumes inspired by Haitian Revolution heroes or sported Cap-Haïtien’s 2024 carnival t-shirts that read “K-Naval.” However, Cap-Haïtien has yet to announce the theme for its carnival or release a list of planned events.
After the launch of the carnival festivities, Almonor cut the ribbon for the new “M Renmen Okap” sign. The original sign, made of iron, had rotted over time. The new version was constructed with cement through a partnership between the town hall and the Joel Locker Foundation, Almonor said. The sign sits in a popular spot for locals and visitors to take photos.
Following the inauguration of the sign, Almonor presented the key to the city to Gérard Pierre-Louis, better known as “Lavi Souri,” which means “Smiling Life” in Creole. Pierre-Louis, 72, received the honor for his 45 years of contributions to Cap-Haïtien’s traditional celebrations, including carnivals and Flag Day events. His dedication and festive spirit have earned him the respect and admiration of many residents over the years.
One of Pierre-Louis’ signature gestures is sharing sweetbreads with revelers, a tradition he continued on Jan. 19 after receiving the city’s key. Dressed in a bright red suit and with his face covered in white paint, he handed out the treats to attendees.
“I might not be able to sleep tonight because I would’ve never thought I would’ve had the city’s key in my hands,” Pierre-Louis told The Haitian Times. “I might close the city once and for all to show people the positive work I’ve been doing for this country,” he joked.
Here are some images of the trio of celebrations on The Boulevard on Sunday.
The post Cap-Haïtien kicks off Carnival 2025, inaugurates ‘M Renmen Okap’ sign | PHOTOS appeared first on The Haitian Times.
