The drumming started early Wednesday morning, with the rhythmic beats becoming louder and louder as one got closer to the intersection of the Queen Mary Highway and Hannah’s Rest Road.
And since it’s the Crucian Christmas Festival, those blares of deafening tones can only mean one thing. It’s time for J’ouvert.
Contracted from the French jour ouvert, which means day break, J’ouvert (pronounced JOO-VAY) in the Caribbean means it’s Carnival season and a way to celebrate and commemorate the island’s African ancestors being freed from slavery over 150 years ago.
On St. Croix, the gathering began before the sun came up with the parade starting shortly after sunrise. It traveled into downtown Frederiksted and ended around midday near the entrance to the festival village.
Along the parade trail, the crowd grew from hundreds to thousands. Both young and old joined in procession behind one of many flatbed trucks from which DJs play their tunes trying to excite the crowd as much as they can. Non-dancers sat along the side of the roadway in lawn chairs enjoying the spectacle and conversing among friends.
For those dancing and staying in tune with the tunes, some raised their hands in supportive unison while others maintained their focus by filling up on drinks along the way from vendors. 
“J’ouvert juice” seemed popular. It also smelled potent. By the looks on people’s faces drinking it, J’ouvert juice worked its magic.
Besides the music, which makes it near impossible to hear should one get close enough to a truck’s speakers, the other thing noticeable are the costumes. With bright colors abounding and masks a plenty, the eye candy at J’ouvert appeared sweet and to be in heavy supply.
But don’t confuse the people dressed in blue with festival-goers. Those navy-wearing men and women walking in between the trucks weren’t wearing costumes. They really were uniformed police. And thankfully their heavy presence kept things peaceful among the raucous crowd.
Some of the best costumes seen were worn by Crucians Jackie and Johnny Hughes. The two had spent the last week collecting various beer cans only to string together with tinsel and wear like Christmas trees.
“This (J’ouvert) means drinking,” Johnny Hughes said. “That’s all it is. Drinking, partying, having fun.”
“And don’t sleep,” Jackie Hughes said. “I haven’t slept in nearly two days.”
With another Crucian J’ouvert in the books, she’ll now have plenty of time to catch up on her sleep in the meantime. That is until next year. After all, J’ouvert will be here again in no time, and St. Croix will be anxiously waiting until then. Some of the music blaring from behind one of the trucks perfectly summed up why.
“Get your drink on, get your drink on, get your drink on,” the DJ played. “Get your drink on, get your drink on, get your drink on…”
It just kept repeating itself and the people loved it, sort of just like J’ouvert.
