The annual Soup and Champagne All White Affair, the Caribbean cultural pinnacle of every New Year, returns for its 7th edition Thurs., Jan. 1 at NoMi Village, 12351 NW 7th Ave. This event centers around the cherished Haitian tradition of Soup Joumou, symbolizing freedom and national pride.

The pumpkin soup carries cultural weight. On January 1, 1804, revolutionary leader Jean-Jacques Dessalines declared Haiti’s independence, marking the only successful slave revolt to result in a sovereign state. During French colonization, this delicacy was reserved solely for the colonial white masters, and enslaved people were forbidden to consume it. In celebration of their hard-won liberation, the newly freed people of Haiti made Soup Joumou the iconic dish of New Year’s Day, transforming it into a lasting symbol of independence, freedom, and pride.