If you come to Martinique during the Easter period you will be amazed by the singularity of the celebrations of the death and resurrection of Christ. Indeed, the Martinicans remain fervent Christians and Easter, one of the most important dates in Christianity along with Christmas, is very marked on the island.
In addition to the question of crabs at Easter, one might wonder why the Saturday before Easter Sunday is called Samedi Gloria in Martinique. Samedi means Saturday in French. Beware, you will also see the name "Sanmdi Glorya" in Martinique Creole.
This name refers to the ancient rites specific to this day. At the time, the Saturday of Holy Week was the day of the consecration of the baptismal waters. A ceremony was held on the church square and the bishop consecrated the water that would be used for baptisms and other religious rites of blessing.
This was followed by a mass where the crucifix on the high altar and the statues of the church previously covered with a purple veil from Palm Sunday were uncovered. The bishop or priest who officiated would then intone the Gloria in excelsis Deo and then the bells would ring out loudly. The Gloria in excelsis Deo, a Catholic liturgical hymn, is a Latin song of praise to the Holy Trinity, listing the qualities of the three divine persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). The first words take up the song of the angels in Bethlehem.
Thus in the West Indies, this song became emblematic of the day which became Samedi Gloria.
It should be noted that the Vatican II Council (October 11, 1962 - December 8, 1965) convened by John XXIII, whose main goal was to reform the Church so that it could open up more and more to society in the face of a beginning of desertion of the churches, had consequences on this formerly symbolic day. The abandonment of the Latin Mass in favor of using local languages and the ceremonies of Holy Week meant that the Gloria in excelsis Deo was no longer sung at Holy Saturday Mass after 1962.
In spite of this, the name Samedi Gloria has remained in the Antilles.
Saturday Gloria is also a special day in the West Indies since slavery. If the day did not bear this name at the time, it was also an important day for the slaves. Forbidden to play the drum during the whole of Lent, a period of abstinence from musical celebrations, they were once again allowed to play the drum and practice the bèlè and danmyé (see image opposite).
In memory of this tradition, which dates back several centuries, Samedi Gloria has become a kind of day of bèlè and danmyé in Martinique. Every Saturday before Easter, the Maison du Bèlè organizes popular meetings where danmyé and bèlè masters practice in front of a crowd of enthusiasts.