JUNKANOO returned – and it was dazzling.

Of all the restrictions needed during the pandemic, the cancellation of Junkanoo was perhaps one that people felt most keenly.

Junkanoo is not just a job, it’s not just an attraction, it’s part of people’s lifestyles – it’s an emblem of our culture.

So to see dancers out on Bay Street, musicians giving their all, costumes that dazzled and banners that people had clearly laboured over for hours was not just about getting back to normal, it was about reconnecting with who we are as Bahamians.

One Family was the winning group – and given the reaction particularly to the choreography and costumes inspired by the movie Black Panther, most people seemed to think it was a fair choice.

But it wasn’t just about One Family, it was about everyone who put the time and effort to get back onto Bay.

There was even one clip posted online of a dancer struggling with a costume as it fell apart, but she shrugged it off and just kept going. Persistence, just as we might need to keep on going after the problems that have held us back as a nation.

And we should acknowledge those problems. Indeed, One Family’s chairwoman, Christina Fernander, did so herself after the victory, saying: “We did it for those fallen warriors and soldiers that we lost. We did it for our loved ones, we did it for our group, we did it for our community because we are ‘one family’.”

It is of course the first time after a two-year gap, so some hiccups might have been expected along the way – but we should also take the time after the event to consider whether we can do some things better.

The ever-present problem of long gaps between groups seemed to appear again. There appears to have been an unseemly row over television coverage of the parade, which may see URCA get involved.

And then there are perhaps things that went as planned – but could we improve on them still?

The reading of the results, for example, was carried out perfectly well – by four men sitting at a desk with a backdrop that was nothing more than an office space. For all the glamour and effort on show in the costumes during the parade, perhaps we could manage something with a little more showbusiness glitz in future. Many eyes were focused on the announcement, so could we do something a little more next time around?

Finally, there are all those wonderful costumes themselves – many of which just get abandoned at the end of the parade.

A number of people have called over the years for a Junkanoo museum on Bay Street, where visitors can see year-round some of the fabulous costumes we get to enjoy at our end of year parades.

There is the Junkanoo World Museum in Horseshoe Drive, and the cruise port has plans to show off Junkanoo items, but often it seems this wonder comes and goes and we don’t take the time to appreciate it for the rest of the year as much as we could.

But these are thoughts for the future. For now, Junkanoo is back. And we are delighted to see it. Our congratulations to the winners, and our applause to all who played a part in getting back to Bay.