Maria Sanchez - Rudolph BrownBarbara Ellington
OVER the next two weeks, as preparations for Christmas 2000 move into high gear, Flair will be talking with foreigners here about their way of celebrating the yuletide season.
Maria Sanchez is from the neighbouring island, Cuba. She grew up in Bayamo, close to Santiago de Cuba and as a child she recalls the annual dinner banquet or noche buena, on December 24.
Then as now, the feast consisted mainly of roast pork, rice and peas, boiled cassava, nuts and whole and ground almonds and of course, lots to drink. The pig is seasoned with salt, garlic and onions and stuffed with rice or other ingredients. A hole is dug in the ground and filled with coal for a fire. The stuffed pig is placed on a spit over the fire and roasted.
The Cubans also make something like our bammy but it's dryer and thinner.
Maria said the Christmas tree (not artificial), in some houses were trimmed with cotton wool on the branches and underneath, to represent snow. There are no lights like we have on the trees in Jamaica.
"On December 25, there used to be a big misa del gallo somewhat similar to carol services here - all this prior to the revolution. When the Pope visited, he declared Christmas Day a holiday and once again, churches are packed," she said.
Throughout the years, Christmas celebrations were dictated by fluctuating economic fortunes. However, some people still kept private celebrations at home, Maria pointed out.
The best part of the celebration for the children is seeing family together and being able to sleep late next day and partake of the leftovers. Unlike customs elsewhere, in Cuba, children receive their new toys on January 6, the dia del reyes or day of the wise men. They state their requests in a letter placed under the bed and then receive them on that special day.
But there is another major celebration on December 31. This is significant because it is observed to commemorate the eve of the Cuban revolution. "Families get together for a party with more food, Cuban music and dancing, after cleaning the entire house, we take out the old dirt, wear new clothes, wash the streets and prepare to greet the new year," Maria said.
The dominant theme of Christmas celebrations in Cuba, in good times and bad, is family and like many other Cubans living in Jamaica, Maria plans to return home for the celebrations.
It's too sad when we are not together, there is lots of hugging and kissing and it's grand time of togetherness," Maria said.
Christmas with other neighbours
Officials from the Embassy of Mexico told Flair that in Mexico, Christmas is an important holiday season with strong traditions. One of the most colourful is the poscada party, celebrated every evening from December 16-24. The celebrations commemorate Mary and Joseph's cold and difficult journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of shelter. Poscada in Spanish means lodging or shelter. And on each of those nights, a party is held in a church or a home in the neighbourhood.
According to Colombian soprano, Senora Trudy Bent, Christmas music has already started in that country and the decorations are beautiful. 'Christmas has become very commercialised but there are lots of carol services in the cathedrals and hotels, city hall and the parks host programmes to mark the event. Huge Christmas trees are decorated all over the place.
A big item on the menu, rosa de Jamaica or sorrel is also grown in Colombia and along with baked pork, chicken, ham and turkey with all the dressings and fruit cake and puddings, complete the sumptuous feast. Like children everywhere, the little ones in Colombia look forward to their presents.
Lovern Hayes said Trinidadians' celebrations begin as early as October and November with parang. At its inception, folks went from house to house with home-made instruments singing Spanish Christmas music and received refreshment. Today, it has evolved into soca parang to make it more Trinidadian in sound.
Children wake up early and head straight for the presents while the adults frantically complete sprucing up the house. The day's menu begins with chocolate tea as part of breakfast and other dishes include: ham and chow-chow (a relish), home made bread/sweet bread, turkey fruit cake and pastelle made with cornmeal dough filled with beef and olives and spices.
Ponche de creme is a popular drink, liberally laced with rum, sorrel is also a favourite. December 25 is spent at home with the immediate family but on Boxing Day everyone goes out to socialise.
For Bajans, Christmas ain't Christmas without pork, David Williams told Flair. "As soon as schools close for the Christmas holidays, children have to help their parents clean, paint, varnish and redecorate the entire house.
The week before Christmas, the frenzied activity in town is described as "federation in town", stores open late and children cannot understand why they have to accompany parents to shop for curtains.
Customarily, Tuk Bands comprising drummers and penny whistle blowers go from house to house making music and "speechifying" to get drinks. On Christmas eve, most Barbadians go to midnight mass followed by a trip to Queen's Park early next morning to show off their finery and listen to the Royal Barbados Police Force band. The children head for the playground nearby. The day is spent resting and feasting.
Our neighbours in Barbados love pork and those who plan to kill a pig take specific orders from house to house in a ritual fondly called "engaging de pork." The cuts are baked along with ham and other meats. Jug-jug is a favourite and served hot with pigeon peas and rice. All is washed down with sorrel, though not as "fiery as Jamaicans make it.
