It’s that time of the year when our Sunday best is on display from the week of Christmas Eve to New Year’s day. Christmas is our Thanksgiving. We pull out all the stops. Christmas meets us with a kiss of cooler air from our northern friends, it’s what we call “Christmas breeze.”
The caroling festivity fills the air and our hearts shine with pride for having made it through another year. Christmas is the celebration of Christ, His birth and thus, the spirit of renewal. In Jamaica, much effort is spent on the preparation and presentation of Christmas and less emphasis on a gift list and/or Christmas shopping. First, we prepare our feast by harvesting sorrel and soaking dried fruits in advance for the early construction of the Christmas cake. Sorrel is a dried hibiscus flower, used to prepare a traditional (rum) punch served at Christmas in Jamaica. Traditionally, this plant is only made available around Christmas time and thus, only consumed during this season. Sorrel becomes our “tea” at Christmas. I guess we do enjoy iced tea afterall! Though, this is more comparable to a Long Island iced tea.
In addition to personal grooming and dressing up, we dress up our homes — we paint, garden, fix/replace/add additional appliances, clean, dine on the best china and silverware, and change out the drapes and room beddings all in the season. Businesses and government entities all take part in the process. Not a stone is left unturned. Not only does the time signify the commencement of the tourism season — thank you! — but it’s also the time of year our friends and relatives overseas come home for the holidays, school is out and offices close for at least two weeks. Once all the preparations have taken place, it’s time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.
Your sorrel and Christmas cake are the stars of the season. Sorrel and Christmas cake, which is a rum-infused fruit cake, are to be served and enjoyed throughout the season. Usually, a visitor to the home is presented with this offering. I must note that there is a high probability that this visitor is just passing through town, unannounced, until that phone call to check if you’re home. This is why we prepare, so as to never be caught off guard, even when clearly inconvenienced. What can I say, we are very hospitable in our culture and in our practices. For the Christmas cake, each household and baker has unique methods and ingredients, and like many Jamaican foods, a recipe is not passed on. Yeah, I know… Every year I am met with chimes of criticism from bakers and their audiences; “it could use more rum,” “the fruits are no good this year,” “it’s fresh,” “it’s dry,” “it burn,” “it’s too rummy” and this list goes on. Christmas cake is one of my favorite things to enjoy and 9 out of 10, it’s good no matter the baker, but is a recipe that we all can agree on too much to ask?!
Christmas Eve is enjoyed with friends and relatives at Grand Market, it’s our Christmas shopping put into one night, from dusk until dawn. It’s really fun for teenagers, it’s our first taste of freedom because everyone is out on a festive occasion and thus our parents are inclined to let us stay out beyond curfew. Then there’s the Christmas dinner spread, fit for kings and queens — ham, roast beef, chicken, curry goat, oxtail, and rice and peas. Yes, of course our traditional vegetables/salad. Another year being renewed in a feast of thanksgiving and the gift of life for all good things to come is reflected in this season. Though our Christmas celebrations may be different from your holiday celebrations, we are similar in that we believe in miracles and are made anew by the wonders of the season.
After sleeping and eating all of Christmas day, the following day, Boxing Day, is commonly spent with your significant other at the beach and or attending one of the plethora of stage sessions (dance/parties) held throughout the island. Boxing day is a lot more fun in my opinion, you’re not exhausted from Grand Market celebrations nor overworked from cooking Christmas dinner. You’re simply basking in the sun, melting the stresses of the year away. And that’s Christmas time, it brings us light at the end of the year’s tunnel.
Have a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year — it’s the Jamaican way.