A Caribbean Christmas
In the tropical islands of the
Caribbean, the temperature is above 75 degrees from
Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, which means that it is warm and
pleasant during Christmas. The Christmas season in
the Caribbean is also pleasant because it is far
removed from the rainy season, which usually occurs
from late March to May.
During Christmas time
in the Caribbean, the temperature is also more
temperate and tolerable compared to the searing hot
days of the summer months.
As in many parts of the world, family, merriment,
gift-giving are
among the many activities that the people of the
Caribbean enjoy during Christmas. Families often
live in fairly close proximity to each other
however. But what makes getting together at
Christmas so special is that it often involves
intense and laborious preparations that are not done
at any other time of the year.
In many homes, an intense cleaning is done in the
two or three weeks before Christmas Day. All
furniture is moved and may even be
rearranged and new and fancy curtains put up for the
season. The best
bed linens, tablecloths, cutlery and dinnerware are
also used in
entertaining any visitors during the season. It is a
common occurrence
for visitors, including people from the
neighborhood, to stop for short
visits during the season.
During those visits, guests are entertained with
certain food and
drinks, many of which are made only at Christmas
time. These include
fermented drinks such as sorrel and mauby, as well
as the alcoholic
drink rum punch. A special type of cake, called
Black cake or
fruitcake, is also made at Christmas. It is made
with raisins and other
dried fruit that are minced and placed in wine for
several weeks.
This cake is the traditional dessert for Christmas
dinner. The main
menu of a traditional Caribbean Christmas dinner
includes baked
poultry, roast beef ham, boiled and steamed root
vegetables, rice with
peas, seasoned rice or rice pilaf, with sorrel, rum
punch or mauby as
the beverage.
Caroling has also been a tradition, although its
practiced has
been declining in recent years. Small groups from
churches or schools
will walk through neighborhoods singing Christmas
carols or, will drive from house to house to sing
carols in neighborhoods primarily in rural areas
where houses are not always found in close
proximity.
Two Christmas traditions that are unique to the
Caribbean are the
practice of Jonkonoo and having a grand market.
Jonkonoo consists of a group of masked revelers who
take part in a parade dancing to the beats of drums,
shaking tambourines and improvised instruments. The
group also include stilt walkers who appear as tall
as some trees and single-story buildings. Jonkonoos
perform various antics to amuse onlookers and to
give candies and treats to children, especially
younger children who may seem scared of any of the
Jonkonoo participants.
Grand market is the big outdoor market that takes
place the week
before Christmas up to Christmas Eve. Outdoor
markets, found in the
central points of regional towns, are common in the
Caribbean as a
place to get fresh fruits, vegetables and produce
that are grown by
local farmers. But at Christmas time, they also
become filled with
assorted items that can be given as gifts and they
bustle with activity
even after nightfall. It is a special treat for
children to accompany
parents to grand market during the Christmas season.
Since Christmas falls during the high winter tourist
season in
the Caribbean, Christmas is also an opportunity for
many school
children to perform for tourists. Many hotels take
advantage of the
fact that most schools and churches will have
singing and dramatic
groups that perform the Christmas story and sing
carols and Christmas songs. These groups are often
invited to provide local entertainment at hotels and
guesthouses during Christmas.