Cultural Experiences

In March, Paramaribo turns pink and orange for an afternoon as Holi Phagwa spills out of the Hindustani temples and onto the street, and nobody, tourist included, is safe from a handful of colored powder. Suriname has more public holidays for different cultures than almost any other country. There are holidays for the Hindustani, Javanese, Chinese, Indigenous, and Creole people, and because everyone gets the day off, the whole country joins in, whether or not it's their holiday, right down to thousands of people eating together in the street for Eid.

Music is also a big part of life here. You will hear long drums in the Maroon villages and brass bands playing Kaseko music in the city. Kaseko is a special kind of rhythm that started in Paramaribo. It mixes many different styles like jazz and calypso. You can hear it at almost every party or big festival.

One of the most interesting things is the art made by Maroon communities in the jungle. They are famous for their woodcarving and colorful textile patterns. Each pattern has a special meaning. If you visit a village on the Suriname river, you can see the artists working and buy something directly from them.