Persons in Diaspora Yearning for Jamaican Christmas

There is nothing like Christmas in Jamaica.

From the warmth of family to the feeling of goodwill that permeates the air, the delectable food, grand market, music and other traditions, the island’s festive season celebrations are the envy of the world.  

It, therefore, comes as no surprise that Jamaicans living abroad flock to the island’s shores this time of year.

For those who can’t make it home, they have fond memories of past Christmases to keep them warm amid the chilly temperatures where they reside.

St. Thomas native Pastor Sharon Gordon, who now resides in Florida in the United States, recalls her childhood days when carollers would sing at dawn throughout the community.  

“It was so touching, so meaningful and it meant a lot to me back then, and that highlighted the true meaning of Christmas, what it is all about – celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ. I wish we could get back to carolling, I really do miss that. I also miss the fellowship and family [gatherings],” she says.  

Pastor Gordon says she also yearns for the Christmas cake and sorrel. 

Everton Francis, who also lives in the US, recalls one Christmas in his childhood that stands out more than the others.

“When I was nine years old while at my grandmother’s [home] in St. Mary, during the week leading up to Christmas, my jaw was swollen. My family thought it was mumps,  so they were treating me for mumps for the entire week and it wouldn’t go down,” he tells JIS News. 

“I went to the Port Maria Hospital and they found out that it was an abscess in my tooth, so they had to do surgery to take out what was in there and I was in hospital for nine days. Every morning I got an injection,” he recollects.  

On Christmas Day, he got a pleasant surprise when persons came to the hospital ward to give gifts to the children.  

“I got nine of them. The most presents I ever got. That was one of my best Christmas ever, ” he says.  

Ann-Marie Green Downer continues to yearn for the days when she went to Grand Market every Christmas Eve and the happiness that came with the season.  

“Grandma was in the kitchen cooking, and it was a time when everybody celebrated and loved each other. Most of all, our families made sure that we never forgot the real reason behind Christmas – that it was celebrating the birth of Christ,” she notes.  

She says that today, the magic of Christmas seems to be missing, as the celebration seems to be commercialised. 

“It is about the gifts, it’s about who got what, how many gifts the kids got, totally different. Christmas in Jamaica is like Christmas nowhere else on earth; it was a time of joy, happiness, peace giving, sharing,” Mrs. Green Downer says.   

The St. Catherine native remembers how special the season was for her as a child, as even though she did not have much, the love that radiated from her family was enough to make Christmas special every year.  

“It meant the world to us when Christmas came around, because you would see relatives you haven’t seen in a while and whether you got toys or not, you would still be happy because it was Christmas. It seemed to take forever to get here when I was a kid, not so much anymore, but I do love the thought of Christmas in Jamaica.  I do miss it, and I do miss the community, the love, all that I would have as a child growing up at Christmas,” Mrs. Green Downer remembers fondly.

One thing is certain, no matter where in the world Jamaicans go, their hearts will always remain at home on the island, especially at Christmastime.