First Christmas
This is my first Christmas in Blogland, and I’ve spent a lot of it writing about the local customs and family traditions that mark the season here at home.
I’ve always loved experiencing Christmas here, and there’s a part of me that believes that is because of the pride I have in my country. There’s another part of me that says that there’s just so much to enjoy and participate in at this time of the year, that it is just a great experience for visitors and locals alike.
As I reflect on what Christmas in Trinidad means, it strikes me that it’s changing.
There’s a lot more focus on the toys and gifts, and there’s also an increasing focus on the parties and clubs. But the traditional festivities like the annual Parang festival are struggling to keep going. More and more people are buying their pastelles and black cake at the grocery, instead of making them at home.
I totally get it – we’re living busy lives and so the services are focusing more on selling convenience and escape. This year, for the first time in this house, we didn’t buy fresh sorrel but opted instead for the packaged pre-cut dried kind. But there’s something to be said for taking the time to make your sorrel, or your pastelles.
The holiday food preparations have always been family-focused. Family members pitched in, young and old, and many hands made the work light. There is laughter and sharing and connection in those times. And these are the experiences that make the season. I can’t say that I can make pastelles from scratch. But at a friend’s house, in the assembly-line and over lots of laughter, man I can scoop filling like nobody’s business!
The food can be had at anytime, anywhere, but if you remove the community, you remove the stuff of memories. When people miss Christmas in Trinidad, the food is a small component of what they miss. What they miss is what happens around the food. What happens during the parang. What happens when we “movin from house to house” (notice the paranderos in the first clip above would stop and sing at one spot and then move along to the next).
That open-hearted spirit is what makes us who we are, and shapes who we become. We are known to be warm and friendly. We are known to be welcoming and kind. We are known to be extremely creative. Because when you have to feed 10 more people than you expected on short notice, with grace, you learn to be creative! When the lime (party) turns good, and the parang touches your soul, musical instruments are made from “bottle and spoon” and a box with string… We are masters of invention.
What is going to feed the creative soul if we look only to convenience? What will the next generation produce?
5 Responses to “First Christmas”
Leave a Reply
About Me
A 30-ish mother of 3 and unintentional entrepreneur, I started my own IT Consultancy firm after layoffs at my old job. I balance the world of Corporate IT with my life as Manager of the education, health and well-being of my children.
Blogging from the Caribbean, I give tech advice to moms and write about raising 3 kids under 10, one of whom has been diagnosed with Aspergers.
This is great, thank you for sharing your Trinidad Christmas. Traditions help make the season familiar and comfortable but new experiences add and give it new life. ..'instruments from bottle and spoon.'. I like that..
A Blessed Christmas to you and your family.
BM
There are so many traditions around the world and from family to family. Thanks you for sharing yours. We all pitch in here too making so much food.
And thank you for introducing me to Heather Headley. She has a wonderful voice, and they are are fantastic together.
Merry Christmas.
I can't make tamamles from scratch, but I can tie them really well. I'm hoping that the traditions find a way to survive convenience. There seems to be a huge resurgence in knitting even though it's sometimes easier and cheaper to go buy pre-made.
Feliz Navidad, my friend.
Awesome. You're so right, it's the experiences, and all too often society tries to circumvent those moments through "convenience."
Lovely post, thank you for the education and well-phrased perspective. How can we keep traditions alive?? I'd love to hear more thoughts about it – it's an important topic since our world is changing so rapidly. Thanks for the post!