Jamaican Christmas Music
Jamaican Christmas Music Provided by Reggaeplus Radio- As one might expect, music is a part of Christmas in Jamaica. Many of the traditional Christmas songs and carols can be heard on the radio, in people’s homes and in the many churches. While Reggae is definitely not the only musical diet in Jamaica at any time, including Christmas, […]
Jamaican Style Christmas Carol – An She Rack De Babi (And She Rock The Baby)
“An She Rack De Babi” (And She Rock The Baby) is one of the carol songs in Jamaica during Christmas. It is especially popular at Christmas cantatas at churches in Jamaica. You may also hear it in churches overseas with a large Jamaican and Caribbean congregation. Jamaican Style Christmas Carol – An She Rack De […]
Jamaican Christmas in the 1990’s
What can be said about Christmas in the 1990s in Jamaica? I might be telling my age if I go back too far but basically, the historical perspective surrounds country people who make a lot of preparation both at home, at the workplace, their places of business whatever. At home, it starts with cleaning up […]
Old Time Christmas in Jamaica
Whitewashing of walls and tree roots with temper lime using beaten banana stalks Barefooted people obtained shoes, which posed difficulty in greeting the ever-present pebbles. Country fair in the schoolyard with rumba-box, guitar, and saxophone, Christmas hat, donkey ride, merry-go-round. Grand market in town squares the night before followed by Sunday church with hat. Even […]
My Unique Experience as a Canadian Spending Christmas in Jamaica
I have, as a Canadian, had the unique experience of spending Christmas in Jamaica on several occasions. My family and I stay just outside of Mandeville with my Auntie Vernice and Uncle Harvey. It’s nice and cool up there, high in the hills. One thing that stands out in a major way is the number […]
Dear Miss Lou – Thank You
Many of us never got the opportunity to thank you for the joy you brought us in childhood with your national TV show “Ring Ding”. We will never forget the many Jamaican poems, stories, and proverbs you taught us. Miss Lou, you are Jamaica’s folklore ambassador and educator. As an actress, dramatist, storyteller, poet, and […]
My Fondest Christmas in Jamaica
A wha’ happen den, Mas Charlie? Ah chile, is dream mi a dream, Bout Christmas in Jamaica – so long ago it seem. Yuh know wi las’ spen’ Christmas deh. In nineteen sixty-eight, An every time mi tink of it, it really seem so great. Remember how at Palisadoes when wi start fi lan’, Yuh […]
Chrismus time again
Lawks, chile, Chrismus a come again. You can believe it? Just yessiday me a welcome di new year an a ring bell like seh me is of a particular political persuasion. Massi, ma, me dis a get use to a write dis year, now me haffi memba new year. Anyway, we have to give tanks […]
Crismus dung a Yaad
Hoo-much a oonu miss Crismus dung a Yaad?Wi always had fun even dowe tings maybi hawdWi nyam up de chicken, rice an peas, an jink rumDen siddung undah di ackee tree an eat hog plum Den boxin’ nite de pawty stawtAn yuh out deh a jam, even if yuh cyaan dawnce to fawt!Yes, Crismus dung […]
Take the Spirit of Christmas into the New Year
Some eight years later, a story told by Monsignor Richard Albert in an article he wrote in the Jamaican Daily Gleaner of December 21, 1993 remains, for me, one of the best examples of the true Spirit of Christmas. In that article, he told the story of Miss Lena who “was very old and confined […]