Carnaval King Vaval Burned in St. Barths

The focal point for the final Carnaval celebration is King Carnival, a giant colorful effigy known as Vaval, along with his alterego, Bwa-Bwa, who towers over the floats and dancing procession. By now, humorous death notices of King Carnival have been announced in local media. Festivities continue as his funeral pyre is built. Dusk falls, then flames light up the night sky. As Vaval’s effigy is consumed by the fire, dancing reaches its apogee. Only when the flames die down does a calm settle over the crowd. With the burial of Vaval, they chant “Vaval, pas quitte nous”, which translates into “Carnival don’t leave us.”