Where Does Ouvert Come from?

J'ouvert (pronounced "Jou-vay") is derived from French patois and means 'daybreak'. Jouvert marks the official start of the two day carnival celebrations in Trinidad & Tobago. It usually officially commences at 4:00 a.m. on Carnival Monday.

Is J ouvert a French word?

J'ouvert is a gallicization of jou ouvè (IPA: [ʒu uvɛ]; jour ouvert in standard French), the French Creole term meaning "dawn" or "daybreak", as this is the time at which the celebration is typically held.

Who invented jouvert?

J'Ouvert also know as jouvay originated in Trinidad with the festivities of Canboulay, which was a time when sugarcane fields caught on fire and slaves were still forced to harvest the remainding crops before complete destruction. That event was reenacted and male slaves were mocked by their masters.