Carnival Tuesday in Grenada
Carnival Tuesday is the second day of Grenada’s August Carnival, known as Spicemas. It is a public holiday across the country, marked by the Parade of the Bands, with costumed masqueraders and music in the streets.[1][2]
Public holiday status
Grenada’s Bank Holidays Act names the second Monday in August and the following day as the Carnival August Celebrations. It provides for bank holidays to be kept as public holidays at public offices and as close holidays in banks; when a listed holiday falls on a Sunday, the next Monday is a bank holiday.[1]
The Cabinet Office lists Carnival Tuesday as a public holiday, and Grenada’s embassy says banks and most shops are closed. The holiday’s Tuesday placement means the Act’s Sunday substitute-day rule does not apply to it.[1][2][3]
The Tuesday parade
The Grenada Tourism Authority describes Tuesday’s main event as the Parade of the Bands. Masqueraders wear colourful costumes, feathers and jewels, while traditional masqueraders including Vieux Corps, Shortknee, Wild Indian and Moko Jumbie stilt walkers appear in the streets.[4]
The Grenada embassy also describes Carnival Tuesday as the parade that brings Carnival celebrations to a close, with bands, steel-band music and DJs playing carnival songs. The Spicemas Corporation identifies music, dance and street theatre as part of the festival.[3][5]
Spicemas and Grenadian culture
Spicemas is Grenada’s Carnival, organized through the Spicemas Corporation, a statutory body responsible for promoting the festival and its official events. The Corporation highlights J’ouvert and Traditional Mas among the elements that distinguish Grenada’s celebration.[5]
The August Carnival is distinct from Emancipation Day in the government’s holiday calendar: the Cabinet Office lists Emancipation Day Observance separately from Carnival Monday and Carnival Tuesday. Carnival Tuesday is a cultural parade day.[2][4]
Planning for the day
Public offices and banks close for bank holidays, and the embassy reports that most shops close on Carnival Tuesday. Since the parade takes place in the streets, check local route and transport information before travelling; check with individual businesses about their opening hours.[1][3][4]
Carnival Tuesday is part of a two-day August celebration. Its date follows the second Monday in August, so the Tuesday moves from year to year.[1][4]
Frequently asked questions
Is Carnival Tuesday a public holiday in Grenada?
When does Carnival Tuesday fall?
What happens on Carnival Tuesday?
Sources and references
Sources used for Carnival Tuesday in Grenada:
- CHAPTER 25 BANK HOLIDAYS ACT- Grenada Parliament
- Grenada’s Public Holidays - 2025- Government of Grenada, Cabinet Office
- Public Holidays and Events- Embassy of Grenada in the People’s Republic of China
- Spicemas- Grenada Tourism Authority
- Spicemas Corporation- Spicemas Corporation