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EveryParampara

Traditions of Paramaribo

The capital of Suriname, where a mosque and a synagogue stand side by side and Keti Koti marks emancipation.

Paramaribo has a wooden old town of a World Heritage kind, and a mosque and synagogue on the same street. Suriname's peoples include Javanese, Hindustani, Maroon, Creole, Chinese and Indigenous. The Keti Koti festival on 1 July remembers the end of slavery in 1863, a national holiday. The Surinamese Javanese keep gamelan music.

Paramaribo: The waterkant of Paramaribo from the Suriname River.
Photo: Rafaeljantz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Keti Koti, Holi and Javanese heritage

Keti Koti, break the chain, is marked by wearing white or Kotomisi dress and by eating pom and other traditional dishes. Hindustani people observe Holi (Phagwa) and Diwali, and the Javanese celebrate Lebaran and keep kuda kepang, a trance dance. The Maroon peoples hold ceremonies with winti drums and prayer.

At the table

Pom, a baked casserole of pomtajer root and chicken with citrus, is festive. Roti with chicken and potatoes, bami and nasi from Java, saoto soup, pindakaas and pepperpot are favourites. Warungs, small Javanese eateries, serve food all day. Parbo beer and dawet drink are favourites.

Signature traditions of Paramaribo

Also part of it, and being written: Keti Koti (The emancipation.), Pom (The dish.), Javanese Surinamese (The community.), Winti (The faith.).

A trail idea for Paramaribo

  1. Waterkant Walk the riverfront.
  2. Central Market Eat at warungs.
  3. Keizerstraat See mosque and synagogue.
About this page

Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.

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