Historic Stagville

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Christmas Celebration

December 1, 2007

10 AM – 4 PM

The Jonkunnu troupe from Tryon Palace joins us for two spectacular performances. Pronounced "John Canoe," this festive holiday event has its roots in Africa and the Caribbean. A Jonkonnu celebration in the 1800s was lively and colorful. There were masked dancers in multicolored costumes and people playing instruments such as drums and cowbells. The musicians and dancers formed a parade that went from house to house. Other enslaved people followed the parade, clapping, dancing, and singing to the music. Even after the enslaved people were freed at the end of the Civil War in 1865, African Americans in eastern North Carolina continued the celebration of Jonkonnu for another half century. This is an interactive experience that cannot be missed. Be part of the Stagville-style Jonkunnu by joining the crowd in song, dance and laughter.