Words by Erin MacLeod and Etienne Côté-Paluck

It’s Mardi Gras, but Haiti’s been partying for quite sometime. From mid-January, every Sunday there have been pre-Carnival—or Kanaval—parades. Marching bands take to the streets and folks don costumes in a series of what could be called dress rehearsals for the big show this week. Kanaval in Haiti was apparently smaller than it has been in past years, but its very staging is what’ss significant. In the aftermath of earthquake-caused devastation, it didn’t even occur in 2010 and the Champ de Mars, a traditional destination for carnival parades in Port au Prince, is currently jammed with tents.