It Is Christmas

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”- St. Matthew 1:23. Christmas is my favourite time of the year. I am sure for many of you Christmas is also your favourite time of the year. There are numerous reasons why Christmas stands out above any other time of the year. The main reason rests with the birth of Jesus Christ. Let me quickly add that I do not entertain those who say Jesus was not born on December 25; the fact is He was born and his birth is celebrated. There tends to be a spirit of generosity during Christmas. Most folks go out of their way to be cordial and pleasant. Oh, I wish this spirit of Christmas could last all year. Living in a tropical country like Jamaica, Christmas brings cooler temperatures; a welcome relief from the all year humidity and heat which characterizes where we are located on the map. We oftentimes experience the Christmas breeze during and around Christmas; the sweater has to be close by during these moments. The carols at Christmastime are another reason; the enjoyment one receives from listening to Christmas Carols is incomparable; whether it is the more traditional carols or the more contemporary ones. I have shared a few of my favouritie Christmas Carols. Angels We Have Heard on High Angels we have heard on high Sweetly swinging o'er the plains And the mountains in reply Echoing their joyous strains Gloria In Excelsis Deo Gloria In Excelsis Deo The First Noel The first Noel the angels did say Was to certain poor shepherds In fields as they lay, In fields where they, Laying their sheep On a cold winter's night That was so deep. Noel Noel Noel Noel! Born is the King of Israel! Little Drummer Boy by Boney M. Come, thy told me, Pa rum pum pum-pum A newborn King to see, Pa rum pum pum-pum Our finest gifts we bring, Pa rum pum pum-pum To lay before the king, Pa rum pum pum-pum Rum pum pum-pum Rum pum pum-pum Among my favourite Jamaican Christmas Carols are: And She Rack Di Baby to Sleep Mek mi tell bout ah story Of de blessed Virgin Mary She had ah baby name Jesus Bawn in Bethlehem of Judeah On some straw dat was in ah manger An she rack de babi to sleep Cow an horse an donkey an sheep See de pretty likkle bwoy sleep For they know dat he is de king King an Saviour of di whole world An she rack de babi to sleep. Sing de Chorus Sing de chorus, Clap your hands Beat the conga, Play your pan Spread the news, throughout the land that Jesus is born, Jesus, the Saviour is born. Never a Baby Like Jesus Never a baby like Jesus, Never, Never, Never Never a baby like Jesus, Never, Never, Never King Emmanuel, Wonderful Counsellor Never a baby like Jesus. Generational Shift The lens through which one views Christmas differs depending on one’s values and attitudes. The younger generation tends to view Christmas in a more secular way than those older folks who grew up in a time without social media and the other technological advancements. A more spiritual-based Christmas tend to be for those of us who had strong connections to the church or to our faith. It was mandatory to be in church on Christmas Sunday. As a youngster you looked forward to attending church in your new outfit. As boys we would give out the pants length to the tailor at Chisholm Avenue, off Waltham Park Road. We would purchase the pants length at Torrington Bridge in Crossroads where a number of fabric stores were located. We would buy a yard and a third to make our pants. My sister would give the dressmaker who lived on the same avenue her fabric. At one point my sister would design her own dresses, she would draw on bits of paper how the dress should look and give it the dressmaker. For boys it was a choice between either pleated or flat front pants. Christmas Eve was very special as our parents would take us uptown in the afternoon. Dad would be home earlier than usual from the garage and we would we waiting on him. All of us would go in his 1969 Buick and head uptown. We did not have a Christmas tree; however, we had blinking Christmas lights, we called them “pepper lights” which would be placed at the window in the Living Room. In the week leading up to Christmas the house would be cobwebbed, sometimes painted. The gate and the adjoining wall fence and the grills would be painted. Mom would ensure new curtains are available. Of course we had to clean the window panes before putting up the new curtains. Christmas was a time of cleaning; your house had to be clean. Our parents used to rear chickens and as such a big rooster would be killed and that would be your Christmas dinner along with green gungo rice and peas and Sorrel. Mom used to do beef pot roast. She would order the meat from the meat shop nearby or I would go to the meat shop in Crossroads market and buy the beef. A sharp knife would be used to pierce holes in the beef and the seasoning consisting of escallion, black pepper,salt,thyme, garlic, tomatoes, pimento seeds and scotch bonnet peppers would be diced and stuffed into the beef and left to marinade overnight. The beef would be placed in a Dutchie pot and slow cooked. We did not do the ham at Christmas, mom never cooked pork. My mom and sister would spearhead the baking. As boys we would assist to mix the ingredients; the dark sugar, the raisins which were soaking in wine many weeks prior, of course butter, baking flour and browning. The aluminum baking tins would be greased so that the cake would not burn. The baking of the Christmas cakes would be done on Christmas Eve. There is no Jamaican Christmas without sorrel. This refreshing drink is made from the petals of the sorrel plant and usually accompanies Christmas dinner. The sorrel is washed and the ginger is crushed or grated. You then place sorrel and ginger in a stainless steel container. Pour on boiling water, cover and leave to infuse overnight. Strain, add sugar, red wine, rum and or brandy is optional and mix. Pour into bottles adding a few grains of rice to preserve the sorrel. As children we looked forward to this activity. We each would receive a gift in between the window shopping. One of the first activities uptown was to stop by the helium balloon vendor at Premier Plaza. Sadly, one year there was a gas explosion resulting in the loss of life. Going uptown on Christmas Eve was a family tradition, at the end of Christmas Eve proceedings our parents would buy us fast food then we would head home. A part of the Jamaica culture which is fast dying is the Jonkonnu parades which would take place on New Year’s Eve all across Jamaica. The Jonkonnu would come around in the wee hours of New Years Day dressed in ornaments and old clothes. The celebration of Christmas in Jamaica is said to date back to the 17th century during enslavement. Plantation work would cease from Christmas Eve until Boxing Day and it was a time of great jubilation for the enslaved. Celebration among the population would be marked by huge all-night dances, with costumed masqueraders and drumming. As children we would go outside in the wee hours of the morning to look at the Jonkunnu parade. Many children were afraid of the horse head in particular and sought refuge behind their parents. Regrettably, this aspect of the Jamaican culture is dying. The year 2020 has been so challenging for so many. The coronavirus pandemic has placed a damper on most if not all Christmas celebrations. However, the birth of Jesus Christ cannot be contained by a pandemic. Yes it is Christmas! We give God thanks for seeing another Christmas. Have a safe, thankful and Merry Christmas! In the words of Eric Sevareid, Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we’re here for something else besides ourselves. Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues. waykam@yahoo.com @WayneCamo © #MerryChristmas #Jamaica #Jonkonnu