Celebrating Christmas in the Caribbean – Our Communities

The Maples

It’s been said that the most fun Christmas celebrations are in ‘the Caribbean’ — a colloquial term that generally refers to the more than 20 former British colonies (now nations) in the Caribbean Sea, which includes Jamaica, Barbados Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. These mostly island nations share common history, language and culture. Fifteen countries are members of the Caribbean Free Trade Area, which is headquartered in Georgetown, Guyana.

For this column, I will focus on one country only – Guyana, where I grew up. Guyana is not an island. It is located on the northern coastline of South America, just 90 miles from Trinidad and Tobago. Like Manitoba, it features miles and miles of flat farm fields, forestry, mining and oil – lots of oil.

In Guyana, Christmas is vibrant and diverse. Family celebrations expressing connections and community spirit are mostly held outdoors, in the sea breeze. A week or so before Christmas Day, the streets and homes will be lit up Christmas decorations, trees and lights. Families, friends, and neighbours come together for street parades and masquerades featuring colourful performers on stilts, musical performances, and neighbourhood parties. On Christmas Eve, most people attend a traditional midnight mass.

Supplied photo

Guyana’s First Lady, Arya Ali (in white at the centre of picture) hosts a Christmas reception at State House, the official residence of the president in Georgetown, Guyana. Correspondent Derek Dabee writes that Guyanese Christmas celebrations are often held outdoors.

On Christmas morning, presents are exchanged, which is followed by the Christmas lunch. The menu is an excellent example of where the diverse cultures of Caribbean people certainly shine. First on the table is the iconic pepperpot stew, considered the ‘national dish’ of Guyana. Pepperpot is a legacy from Guyana’s First Peoples and their traditional community pot. It’s a rich meat stew with generous hot peppers, spices, and extracts of cassava juice. The popular ‘cook-up rice’ is a meat, rice, black-eyed pea and herbs dish contributed by the African community, curry lamb and dhal roti comes from the Indian community, Caribbean-style chow mein comes from the Chinese community, and the garlic pork and ham contribution is from the Portuguese Guyanese. The Caribbean’s favorite Christmas dessert is the traditional, dark brown, rum-preserved fruit cake (known as black cake), which comes from the English. In the Caribbean, almost everyone home bakes their signature black cake, and exchanges slices with friends and neighbours.

After the luncheon, the Christmas celebration continues outdoors. Its picnic time with games – pick-up cricket, volleyball, music, dancing, and nonstop refreshments (including Guyana’s famed demerara rum) at the beach, in a park or under palm trees.

Derek Dabee
The Maples community correspondent

Derek Dabee is a community correspondent for The Maples.

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