Haiti has many reasons to celebrate New Year's Day; January 1 marks the day this country gained independence from France after more than 300 years of domination. The spectacle of New Year's Day and Independence Day celebrations combined is a spiritual sight to behold and incorporates many traditions. This is one of the most famous festivals in Haiti because everyone in there knows and participates in it.

To mark the day, Haitians shake off their New Year's Eve hangovers to watch parades in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The day is marked by fireworks, dancing and performances of the national anthem, honoring Jean-Jacques Dessalines, the hero of the revolution.

The New Year's Day tradition in Haiti is 'soup joumou' pumpkin soup. The story goes that slaves in Haiti were forbidden to drink joumou soup because it was a delicacy reserved for their colonial masters. It is said that Dessalines' wife, Marie-Claire Heureuse Felicite, declared that on this day Haitians should not refuse a traditional bowl of joumou. Drinking soup on January 1 to mark the liberation of the country has become a symbol of freedom.

• Location: Haiti
• Date: January

Haiti Ancestors' Day, also known as Jour des Aieux, is a public holiday and one of the most famous festivals in Haiti. It is observed on January 2 each year. The holiday commemorates those who sacrificed their lives in the struggles for the nation's independence in the early 19th century.

Haiti is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean Sea and it occupies the western three-eighths of the island of Hispaniola. People inhabited the islands engaging in farming, fishing, and hunting for thousands of years. French began to settle on the western side of the island in the early 17th century. France named it Saint-Domingue and brought slaves from Africa to work on the sugar and coffee plantations, which made Saint-Domingue the richest colony. However, the slaves' harsh conditions led to rebellions.

During the revolution, it is estimated that approximately 350,000 people died and the majority of them were former slaves. Highlighting the importance Haitians place on honoring the past, on January 2 Ancestry Day celebrates the memory of the Haitian forefathers who fought to gain independence from France. The day is commemorated by military processions and often features public addresses.

• Location: Haiti
• Date: January 2nd

The Carnival of Haiti is one of the most famous festivals in Haiti. This cultural event is generally held during the month of February, the day before Ash Wednesday, with celebrations in the capital city of Port-au-Prince as well as other major cities throughout Haiti. Each year, Carnival has a specific theme. The celebration lasts multiple days and people celebrate freely in the streets. The elaborate floats, the costumes, the music and dance, and the colors are a reflection of Haiti’s rich and beautiful culture.

During the festivities, many Haitians dress in traditional garments full of color or disguise themselves as characters from pop culture, such as zombies or Loas. The Rara, a unique form of Haitian music, usually takes place on the last day of Carnival, ending the celebration. Children love Carnival and enjoy participating in the fun. Schools plan special Carnival activities for the children, and this year children in the Restavek Freedom Child Advocacy program had the opportunity to join in the celebration!

• Location: Port-au-Prince, Haiti
• Date: February 27, 28 and March 1

Krik? Krak!, an evening of Haitian culture, celebrates the concept of One Human Family by inviting the entire community to share a meal, and an evening of entertainment with new friends and neighbors. The name Krik? Krak! derives from a Haitian call and response tradition, and is a name given to folk festivals in the island nation. Traditionally, a storyteller stands and says “Krik?,” to which the audience replies “Krak!” and then the story begins.

The evening begins with a traditional Haitian meal, served buffet style, after which storytellers and poets will read and present from the stage. The tables will then be cleared for a dance party featuring the 15-piece band Orchestre les Christophiles and the highly anticipated Revelation Mizik traveling from Miami for this event.

Diversity is community’s greatest asset, what sets us apart from other places people might choose to visit or live. The Studios embraces that diversity and seeks to connect young and old through the age-old formula of breaking bread, sharing stories and cutting loose on a dance floor.

• Location: 533 Eaton Street, Haiti
• Date: November

Dessalines Day is a national holiday in Haiti observed on October 17th each year. It commemorates the life of Jean-Jacques Dessalines on the anniversary of his assassination in 1806. Dessalines became the first Emperor of Haiti in October 1804. He was made Emperor for life in 1805, which proved accurate but short-lived as he was assassinated by his political rivals in October 1806.

Despite his impressive achievements in driving his country to independence, if you were to travel back to Haiti in the 19th century, you might be surprised to find that Dessalines was a far from popular figure and that his reputation was that of a tyrant. It was only in the 20th century, that his legacy as an icon of nationalism and a founding father was developed. His rehabilitation was complete by 1903, when the national anthem of Haiti, "La Dessalinienne", was named in his honor.

• Location: Haiti
• Date: October 17th

Festival du Rhum Haiti is an international festival promoting rum and related alcoholic beverages organized by J'Organise; collaborated and hosted at the El Rancho hotel in Pétion-Ville, Haiti. The three-day event premiered on November 14, 2014.

Inspired by the Paris Rum Festival and the Cane Festival in Martinique, the Haitian Rum festival is a celebration of alcoholic beverages from all over the coast.

Started in 2014, the event features tastings, workshops and cooking demonstrations by renowned rum experts. There's a huge selection of moonshine and rum flowing in all directions. Awards such as Gold, Silver and Bronze medals are given to the best amateurs and rum and cocktail experts and even chefs demonstrate cooking from the best in the world. At the closing ceremony of the event, including art shows and fashion shows. This is definitely a famous festival in Haiti that would be regrettable if you missed it.

• Location: El Rancho, Petion-Ville, Haiti
• Dates: November

The Jacmel Film Festival is a Haitian festival celebrated in the seaside city of Jacmel, Haiti. It is an annual ceremony celebrating contemporary world cinema and at the same time, entertaining the masses and providing cultural insight through film. The festival is very recent, being staged for the first time in 2004. It has been held annually since.

Many internationally renowned directors attend annually from over 30 countries such as Spain, Cuba, the United States, France, and Canada. Many aspiring Haitian student filmmakers attend as a source of knowledge as well as inspiration.

The festival is attended by approximately 50,000 people each year, and is used as a springboard by Haitian filmmakers to achieve international recognition. The festival takes place in several venues, including a picturesque open-air cinema erected on the wharf of the town.

• Location: Jacmel, Haiti
• Date: July

Festival International de Jazz de Port-au-Prince is held every year in mid-January for more than ten years continuously. The festival is organized by The Haiti Jazz Foundation is a non-profit organization, whose goals are to promote and preserve the musical activities in Haiti through the Jazz Festival. Held for the first time in 2007, the festival features free concerts and workshops to educate visitors about music. A mixture of local Haitian musicians and international jazz artists make the event unmissable for music lovers.

Thanks to the passion of the Haitian people for music and especially for jazz, the festival has become one of the most famous festivals in Haiti in terms of musicians’ quality, composition and rich program. In the concerts that are held during the festival, famous local jazz artists perform alongside with leading artists from abroad.

• Location: Haiti
• Date: March 16