While growing up in Mayaro, my grandparents neighbour was a welder by trade. His children frequently used to bus carbide during the holiday season.
Bus carbide (phrase) – A way of making loud explosive noises, usually to commemorate the coming of Divali and Christmas, with calcium carbide. Bus carbide is not to be confused with bus bamboo.
- A piece of carbide is placed inside a tin with a replaceable lid, and a hole made in the bottom, or inside a length of bamboo with joints at ends. The carbide piece is spat on to produce fumes, the container sealed tightly, and then a flame put to the hole.
Busin’ Carbide Trinidad
- Within recent years some nationals have queried the custom of children and youths in rural and semi-urban districts, to burst bamboo and Carbide at Christmas time.
- People does still buss carbide and bamboo. For Divali, Eid and Christmas I does be hearing dem ting bussing all around Kelly Village and Curepe. These days though people get sophisticated and buying fireworks from stores instead.
How To Make A Carbide Canon
Bus Carbide Historical Context
I couldn’t find any research on the history of when busin carbide became a thing in Trinidad. Still, I suspect it became popular during Diwali and Christmas because back in the day Trinidadians either couldn’t afford fireworks or fireworks wasn’t widely available on the island.
Trini Phrases
Oral Traditions
- Sources:
Featured Image by Erwan Hesry on Unsplash
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