Photo: Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies. Retrieved from thrillist.com
“In [African] spiritual ceremonies, these would be guardians,” says Willard John, founder of the nonprofit Guardians of Culture Moko Jumbies in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands. “They covered their bodies completely, because they represented a higher power. You need not see a human.”
In St. Croix, you can see Moko Jumbies at least three times a week during the holiday season. And they’re even more prevalent when the Crucian Christmas Festival, which runs from December 26 through January 9, kicks off, in addition to seasonal jump ups and events like the Coconut Festival in early December. You’ll also find them every Wednesday at 7 pm at the Palms Restaurant at the Pelican Cove hotel. Or swing by the Schjang Ballpark in Estate St. John on Saturday mornings from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, and you can watch John’s proteges, some of whom have been with him for decades from the age of 10, practice their performances. Maybe you’ll even be inspired to try it yourself.
“The first time on the stilts was one of the most exciting times of my life,” says John. “Scary as well, but I felt the spiritualism.”