Hosay is the most popular of the Indian festivals celebrated in Jamaica. They tell of the history of a people. Digging songs, worksongs of the farm or plantation, enabled slaves to communicate while under the watchful eyes of the overseer and also helped to lighten the work. A lead singer sets the pace and the others respond in a chorus. Other manual labourers, like river rafters, have adopted the tradition- 'We'll be rafting down the Rio Grande, uh huh, uh huh' .
Participants dress up in colourful satin dresses reminiscent of the Victorian era.
This dance festival began as a celebration of the abolition of slavery by Queen Victoria in 1834. In the face of what many call cultural colonization by the United States and others, it has been becoming increasingly important to record and preserve our folkloric traditions.