It is a mistake to promote the celebration of an event such as the anniversary of Emancipation as exclusively African, and to regard it as something of interest only to black Guyanese. This narrow approach limits and undervalues an event that has wide international importance. Yet the cultural traditions associated with the celebration of Emancipation (which have hardly survived in Guyana) are almost exclusively African. This ethnic quality, however, takes nothing away from its national significance. The same can be said for Amerindian Heritage Month, Portuguese Arrival Day, the exhibitions of Chinese heritage held late last year and the East Indian festivals in Guyana.

Guyana recently celebrated Diwali, which is of specific interest to the Hindu community. But, despite the religious beliefs that are theirs alone, the festival and its tradition are not their exclusive concern. It has a high- profile public presence that transcends Hinduism and places it on the calendar as a national event. Diwali dramatizes its beliefs and mythology in public theatre through a street parade, performance items and public lighting exhibitions which all depend on spectacle.

These public shows add another dimension to the festival, making it the property, not only of its Hindu performers, but of its wide secular audience as well. Its spectators are the whole nation and the wider national community provides its stage. A cross-section of others are thus drawn in and a national tradition is created.

Non-Hindus and members of other ethnic groups have demonstrated an interest in Diwali for other reasons that are also connected to theatrical spectacle. The spectator interest in the 2003 motorcade in Georgetown was overwhelming. The very large crowds on the streets and in the LBI Community Centre included large contingents of black Guyanese and this was no surprise. This is because the African and East Indian people of the Caribbean have been associated with a tradition of public theatre in the streets and the open air. What is more, the whole range of carnivalesque traditions with street parades in the Caribbean has been common to both groups. The Caribbean immigrant population seems to have taken readily to these types of performances.

Written accounts in the colonial newspapers and other records have been extremely useful in providing information about these performances. The writers were far from impartial; to be more specific, they were hostile, contemptuous and disapproving. But they are valuable records of the performances of slaves and Indian immigrants. They saw savagery in the African theatrical acts and abhorred the flaunting of pagan rites in a Christian country by the uncultured ‘Coolies.’

What is clear is that their distaste for ‘coolie’ culture did not prevent them from expressing admiration for the skilled artistry and spectacle displayed in the Hosay (or Hosein) street parades in Trinidad, known as Tadja (or Tazia) in Guyana. These had a distinct carnival form and atmosphere and attracted very large crowds on the streets. This kind of activity and popular response has been the same for carnival in both Trinidad and the Eastern Caribbean, in the Kambulay processions and in the Jamaican Jonkunnu and masquerade.

The Africans were drawn to the Hosay and Tadja in the nineteenth century for two main reasons. Some of them although born in the Caribbean inherited Islam from their ancestors; the Hosay/Tadja has Islamic roots. Secondly, for those for whom the festival had no religious significance, the attraction was the carnival revelry which accompanied the procession and they simply felt at home with the carnivalesque and street theatre. They and/or their ancestors were accustomed to similar performances in West Africa where religion, mythology and beliefs found expression in those forms. The masquerades of Kalabar and the Egungun of the Yorubas, both in Nigeria, are excellent examples. The Jonkunnu and masquerade in the Caribbean are descendants of both.

There are still other reasons for the popularity and importance of Indian festivals such as Diwali. They are message oriented. While the messages arise from religious practice, they are far from exclusive. Diwali themes such as the triumph of light over darkness, of knowledge over ignorance, and the significance of these taking place at a time of harvest reach out to other communities. They are not unlike many African festivals, which have much to do with harvests, yam festivals celebrating prosperity and themes of rebirth.

Mashramani takes its name from an Amerindian festival associated with harvesting. Phagwah celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and is a spring festival acknowledging rebirth like many African rituals. Its own rites, including fun and frolic, the throwing of dyes, powder and water recall the same activities in carnival Jourvert (Jouvay) and St.Lucia’s Papa Djab.

The similarities abound. Eid Ul Fitr is an Islamic festival with the theme of sacrifice at its centre. It celebrates selfless submission to the will of God, a message the Christians will well appreciate, particularly since Easter is another festival celebrating divine sacrifice. This motif cuts across religions and is prevalent in those derived from Africa, India and in hybrid developments from both such as Kali Mai.

The final reason to be treated here for the great significance of ethnic festivals is their importance to Guyanese heritage. Although their various cross-cultural links, parallels and similarities have been stressed, they are most important to Guyanese cultural heritage because of their differences.

Each of Guyana’s separate ethnic traditions can stand and represent the nation as ‘Guyanese culture.’ Guyanese culture is multi-ethnic, which means different cultures exist within the one nation. These differences, which tend to divide, really enrich the nation, if its warring factions ever pause to appreciate it. The cultural character of the country thrives on the ethnic differences and the deep exclusive traditions that lie within each. This holds strong potential for tourism, and many countries around the world market their cosmopolitan complexion as a great asset for the attraction of tourist arrivals. Each ethnic festival, which demonstrates the country’s cultural wealth can generate economic wealth through tourism.

There should be no compulsion to merge the cultures. Deliberate attempts to do this are often politically correct but superficial, dull, lacking in conviction and sincerity. When left alone, mergers will evolve on their own. This is a normal cultural process and does not have to be prompted or artificially forced.

When these fusions happen, they are brilliant, as in the case of the chutney. The fusions are as important as the exclusivity. Paradoxically, and ironically, culturally distinct ethnic differences, when allowed to be ethnically distinct, are the best contributions to a nation’s identity.