Hand-crafted Chapo Pay are common in Dominica, where we have many talented craftsmen and craftswomen who continue to practice the skills they were taught by their grandparents.

One such talented woman is Ms. Jistine Fontaine, sister to the late Prime Minister Hon. Pierre Charles.

Jistine creates these beautiful hats herself. She makes the straw from screw-pine before weaving the hats into various designs and adding the creole touches, madras clothe and a flower or two.

Do you have your Chapo Pay for the 2016 Independence Season?

If not, feel free to visit Jistine. She is located at the corner of Independence and Hillsborough Streets. Once Cruise Season starts, you can find her on the Bayfront at Booth #2.

Her hats are reasonably priced and beautifully crafted in both men’s and women’s styles!

The Process

Making the ‘straw’ from screw-pine is not an easy task!

Watch this fantastic video from the Cultural Division that shows how screw pine is processed and then made into different products. The mini documentary is less than 5 minutes.

• For more information about Traditional Dress in Dominica visit avirtualDominica.com

October is one of the best months to visit Dominica, because our culture is on display everywhere. Throughout the month, Fridays are designated as “Creole Dress” Day (Had Kwéyòl). On the Fridays leading up to Creole Day (the last Friday of the month), we add an accent of creole to our clothing or wear colourful madras skirts, tops and dresses. Many people create new fashions with madras patterns, all paying tribute to our Creole heritage. On Creole Day, traditional creole clothing like the Wob Dwiyet is on full display everywhere you go — and especially during the Creole Day Parade in Roseau.

Creole Day Parade in Roseau

Dominica’s National Wear

Dominica’s traditional National Wear includes a Wob Dwiyet for women and black pants, white shirt and red sash for men.

The Wob Dwiyet is a national symbol of Dominica. You can see it in all its glory during the Miss Wob Dwiyet Competition held every year during Independence.

Men also wear brightly coloured madras shirt jacks, waistcoats, or sashes when celebrating the Creole Season.

DID YOU KNOW?

The traditional  Wob Dwiyet (“Grand Robe”) consists of mouchoir, foulard, jupe, chemise, and “jupon a dantell” complete with gold jewellery on arms, neck, ears and mouchoir.

Drawing and information from Dr. Lennox Honyhchurch – read more at  www.LennoxHonychurch.com

FÈT ANDÉPANDANS 2016 in Dominica

See Creole Wear on display at the many Creole pageants throughout our Independence Celebrations:

• Ti Matador Creole Pageant – Thurs. Oct. 20th, 8pm at Arawak House of Culture
• Madame Wob Dwiyet Pageant – Sat. Oct. 22nd, 4pm at Arawak House of Culture
• Miss Wob Dwiyet Pageant – Thurs. Oct. 27th, 8pm at Old Mill Cultural Centre
• Creole Dress Parade – Fri. Oct. 28th, 10 am in the Streets of Roseau

For a more detailed description of tradition Creole dress, see avirtualDominica.com which

See all the post about our National Symbols here.

According to Dr. Lennox Honychurch, Dominica’s Coat of Arms was designed in 1960 by three people:

• First Chief Minister of Dominica Franklin A. Baron
• British Administrator of Dominica, Colonel Alec Lovelace
• Eleanor Lovelace, wife of Colonel Alec Lovelace

In 1961, the Coat of Arms was registered at the College of Arms in London.  The Coat of Arms is to be displayed as follows:

“on Seals, Shields, Banners, Flags or otherwise according to the Laws of Arms”.

The shield is divided into 4 parts and shows:

1. volcanic soil and a coconut tree
2. the crapaud – (now an endangered species)
3. a kalinago canoe with sails
4. and a banana tree with mature fruit

The Motto is Apres Bondie C’est La Ter and it means “after God, the earth” which shows the significance of soil and agriculture in Dominica.

• Read more about the Coat of Arms at www.Lennox Honychurch.com

For more information about Dominica’s National Symbols and Independence Celebrations, see avirtualDominica.com

The Sisserou, Amazona imperialis, is Dominica’s national bird and the larger of the two endemic parrots in Dominica.Sisserou Parrot

These precious birds are found nowhere else in the world and are found only in the higher elevation rainforests around the Morne Diablotins and Morne Trois Pitons National Park here in Dominica.

Appearance: Males and females are almost identical in appearance, coloured with greens, purples, black and orange. Males tend to weight about 900g (32 oz) and females about 650 g (23 oz), and they average 20 inches in length.

Diet: These birds eat a variety of fruit, nuts and other local vegetation such as bromeliads and wild anthurium.

Character: Sisserou parrots are shy and generally travel solo or in pairs or trios. They live to about 70 years old.

Cultural Importance

The Sisserou is featured on

• Dominica’s Flag
• The Coat of Arms
• The Parliamentary Mace

DID YOU KNOW?

Sisserou Parrots mate for life! Once the Sisserou finds a partner, it remains with it until its death.

• Read more about the Sisserou Parrot and other birds of Dominica on avirtualDominica.com