Christmas in the Caribbean can be quite enjoyable. Laughter, food, presents, food, music, drinks and lots of great things like… food. But how do we in the Caribbean celebrate Christmas? What’s different? Well, Pellau Magazine presents to you Christmas in the Caribbean.
ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA
A trip to Market Street should be in your schedule and Rule number one for Christmas day: you must eat pork. Baked or stewed or corned…..it does not matter. But be sure to bring out the pepperpot for Boxing Day.
Market Street©David Stanley/Flickr
The BAHAMAS
Christmas and Carnival mixed? Well in the Bahamas they got Junkanoo. A colourful street parade with dance, music, and costumes from Igbo origins throughout many towns across the country. This is held every Boxing Day (December 26) until New Year’s Day (January 1).
Junkanoo©Cathy T/Flickr
BARBADOS
For Bajans, it’s all about the food. Christmas Plum Pudding, jug-jug, green peas and rice, baked ham, roast turkey with its stuffing with gravy, roast pork with crackling and gravy, fish, pepperpot, yam pie (starting to feel hungry at this point), candied sweet potatoes, plantain, conkies, Christmas cake, cassava pone, and lots more make up what is known as a Bajan Christmas. Just ask Rihanna.
Toad in the Hole © Robb1e/Flickr
BELIZE
In Belize, John Canoe bands with costumed drummers, chanters, and dancers fill the air. Not to mention, Rum-and-eggnog or “rum popo” and oh don’t forget the bird census that is conducted during festivities.
Photo by Oliver N. Greene Jr
http://www.der.org/films/filmmakers/oliver-greene.html
GRENADA
In Carriacou, parang festivals ring off bass drums, iron, guitar, quarto, violin, maracas (shack – shack), mandolin, saxophone, tambourine to create feel good melodies. Unlike Trinidad and Tobago the songs are in English with a calypso-like style.
Fairytale New York©Frankieleon/Flickr
GUYANA
In Guyana, food trumps all and there’s family time too. The famous black cake, ginger beer, imported apples, imported grapes, garlic pork, pepperpot, pickled onions, and ham are necessary. Along with ginger beer, sorrel, mauby, sweet potato fly (not an actual fly but a drink), other kinds of fly, falernum, shandy, rum, and wines.
Christmas Food ’12 (#0935)©reagan7
Trinidad and Tobago
Now mix everything you read from above, except Junkanoo and John Canoe, add wild meat, Spanish Parang and pastelle, and you will have a very Merry Trini Christmas.
Christmas Treats©Richard Potts/Flickr
In the Caribbean, during Christmas, we share a lot of our cultures but one thing we have in common is the ability to have a good time. So whatever last minute shopping you have to do just be safe and have an enjoyable festive period.
