Chasin' Ol' Junks

Every Christmas and New Year on Bonnacca cay there is the traditional outing of the Junkanoo's, or Old Junks. Guys (and the occasional girl) dress up incognito in whatever piece of ugly torn thing they can find, add a few pieces of junk around them, and put on whatever other thing that gives their outfit a personal junky touch--hence the name old 'Junk'. Two other things complete the Junkanoo: something to scare, hit, or throw on people: a pipe hose, a stick, tar, shaving cream, etc. And the last part of the outfit: The money holder!
And what do they do? Chase and run after people. And scare or hit the ones they catch. To entice the Junks to give you a good chase, you can wave money at them. If they catch you, you give them cash, or suffer. Sometimes they dance in gratitude but usually you'll get a good swipe ... Mostly they go around the streets grunting and carrying on.
It's all in good fun--only rarely do they get out of hand. And of course the kids love it. Some can look a little comical too. Like this Ol' Junk who found a rusty umbrella to wear. He's my big little bro! He looks tame here, but has the reputation for being a terribly fierce Ol' Junk. Being 6'+ with all the gear, he clears the narrow streets.
There is a Junkanoo festival of masked dancing in the Bahamas and other places in the Caribbean. Some of the old folks say this tradition comes from the Dutch, but there is no agreement on the origins of the tradition. It certainly has been around for at least a century. Even my Granny (above) still enjoys them and pays them to dance and take pictures!