An earthquake is a rapid, sudden shaking of the earth’s crust due to movements of rocks within the earth. Earthquakes are unpredictable and strike without warning.  They range in intensity from slight tremors to great shocks, and may last from a few seconds to five minutes. Shocks may come in a series over a period of several days. During an...

A “must have” for Christmas is fruit cake. Many persons start ‘soaking’ the fruits – prunes, cherries, raisins and currants – months in advance.   In most families, baking Christmas cakes or puddings is a whole-day family activity. Young children are tasked with washing mixing bowls or preparing baking utensils lined with grease paper, while older men cream the butter and...

Of the many Maroons who have lived in Jamaica, a few have gained prominence due largely to their leadership abilities.  Nanny of the Maroons and her brothers are a few. Nanny of the Maroons Nanny of the Maroons came to Jamaica from the Gold Coast (present-day Ghana).  Shortly after arriving on the island, she joined forces with the Maroons who...

The original Maroons were the indigenous Tainos and enslaved Africans brought to the island by the Spanish, who were set free when the British captured Jamaica in 1655. During their settlement of the island (1655-1807), the British brought more Africans to work on the sugar plantations. Some of these enslaved Africans ran away to the hills and joined the original...

The daily life of the Maroons focused on caring for their physical and spiritual needs. Farming Daily field work was required to sustain the large populations in Maroon villages. Men, women and older children worked in the fields – hoeing, planting and weeding. Younger children did lighter work, such as feeding the animals. Older boys were usually tasked with catching...

Free Villages were townships established in Jamaica in the wake of full freedom from slavery and apprenticeship in 1838.   Missionaries from the Baptist, Moravian, Presbyterian and Methodist denominations were highly instrumental in the formation of Jamaica’s Free Villages as they bought land and sold small lots to their congregation. Some places in Jamaica that were initially Free Villages are:...

There are ten (10) public holidays scheduled for Jamaica in 2017. The Holidays (Public General) Act stipulates the days on which these public holidays occur. According to the Act, if New Year’s Day, Emancipation Day, Independence Day and Christmas Day falls on a Sunday, then the holiday will be observed on the following Monday. National Labour Day is commemorated on...

In Jamaican folk tradition, Anancy is a mischievous spider who is always tricking persons to get what he wants. Stories about this character have origins in the Akan culture in Africa.  These were transmitted to Jamaica from that continent with the slaves who were transported to Jamaica in the transatlantic slave trade. After slavery, Anancy stories were told during the...