Latoya Grindley, Features Writer

Miriam Barrett - Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

Imagine Christmas time without the traffic, the crowded stores and all the pickpockets lurking about. That's the kind of Christmas that many older Jamaicans remember and long for.

Driving through the hills of Manchester and into the rural district of Harmons, an elderly woman was spotted perched on a rock over her washbasin, scrubbing away.

Seventy-year-old Miriam Barrett has fond memories of Christmas time back in the 'good old days'.

"When I was in school, they used to bring this thing they make with a stuffed belly and before Christmas Day, they would give out gifts to the students dem. Dem tings nuh deh again. First time, it was nice," she said.

"We would gather on the streets and den march to the loud music. Then we have likkle spree, weh we used to go barefoot. We go di party barefoot man, we neva watch nobody, cause it was the in ting."

The very cheerful lady was quick to point out that preparations were made in advance of the holiday where everyone got involved, ensuring that the place was ready. "Mi say we clean up the yard, white wash the stone dem. When you look, the place pretty. We used to paint the house too, every time when Christmas come around."

On Christmas morning, Ms. Barrett said, "We bake potato pone and eat and drink with we coffee. And in the day, we used to eat rice and peas and fish and share with family who come over and we neighbours. On dat day, we used to go over we neighbours' and eat."

In Union district in Balaclava, St. Elizabeth, Ernest Biggs said "Christmas was nicer dem time deh."

With his eyes getting brighter by the second as he reminisced on all the good old Christmas days, he continued, "You see, Christmas Day always bright and everybody enjoy demself. But I want tell you still when big people gather, you (child) can't go there or mek noise, not even whistle or else you get flogging. And if you go home and talk, you get more flogging pon top of it."

Enjoying the fun as children

However, he said that children were not left out of the activities of the day. "Children used to go to the square in the early part of the day and den de big people dem go later on when we leave. We couldn't go with them. Mr. Biggs said he would, on the special day, sport his new drape trousers. "I put on my drape trousers on Christmas morning, and the way I used to feel good in the pants, my hand nuh come outta di pocket dem enuh. Mama used to buy it and give we on the morning to put on and as the day done suh, I haffi tek it off."

The enjoyment of Christmas Day was not without the usual preparations, as he had to endure strenuous activities. "As a boy, we used to go look wood. We white wash the stone dem, man and sweep up the yard. When you look down the road, every house paint. And we used to decorate the place with rainbow string up from one corner to the next," he said.

Sorrel and shopping

"I used to get a toy name fifi. Is something that you supposed to blow out and it did have a feather on it. And when you blow it, it mek a loud, funny noise. Mi say I used to love it yuh see; suh 'til I all use to sleep with it wrap up wid me tighta dan tight. I don't even know if them still deh bout."

Mr. Biggs recalled the moments when he would drink sorrel, something he said was not plentiful in his younger days. "When I used to drink the sorrel, I feel good because it wasn't so much like now." And as part of the Christmas holiday activities, he said shops would be opened for the entire day. "Whole day and night shops in the square wide open and nobody nuh trouble dem. All now, mi nuh suh sure wat woulda happen now."

Both Ms. Barrett and Mr. Biggs said while they anticipate the holiday, there is not much they will do to celebrate it. Ms. Barrett said: "I just going eat and drink and thank God for the day. I will all play my radio and jump up and down in mi house," she said with a grin. Mr. Biggs is not too sure how he will spend the day. One thing for sure is that they both agree that Christmas celebration is no longer the same experience as it was decades ago.

latoya.grindley@gleanerjm.com