By Canute Lawrence
The Christmas season is right here, and as a Jamaican, I at all times reminisce and develop into washed in nostalgia every time I see the big, brightly lit Christmas bushes and fancy decorations that adorn Toronto’s streets and malls. Christmas time is a major time for Jamaicans due primarily to its historical past.
Jamaica was stolen from the Taino folks by the Spanish, after which, the English captured the island from Spain in 1655 colonizing it for the following few hundred years. With colonization, got here the suppression of the languages, cultures and customs of the enslaved Africans and the introduction of European Christianity. Enslaved Africans have been coerced and transformed to Christianity by European missionaries in addition to by their colonial masters, not solely in Jamaica, however throughout North America and the Caribbean. Because of this, enslaved Africans and their descendants adopted a brand new faith and customs of celebrating Christmas while creatively fusing it with their very own African customs and traditions. One stark instance is the junkanoo celebrations.
Jonkanoo (or junkanoo) was a celebration the enslaved Africans began to revel within the freedom from their harsh labour granted by their plantation homeowners as a part of the Christmas holidays. Moreover, jonkanoo dancing was an expression of resistance in opposition to their enslavement and a refined approach of mocking their plantation homeowners. It’s in opposition to this background I share how Jamaicans have celebrated Christmas post-slavery, and the way they/we have a good time and protect the traditions in Canada with the intention to style and forge a sense of dwelling away from dwelling.
After interviewing various Jamaicans who presently dwell in Canada, the consensus is that Christmas in Canada turns into a time of loneliness for a lot of, particularly those that shouldn’t have households right here. Reality be instructed, there are numerous Jamaicans who fled Jamaica to dwell in Canada for varied causes. Regardless of the explanations for leaving Jamaica, many Jamaicans develop into nostalgic at Christmas time, lonely, and even depressed lacking their family members who’re geographically removed from them.
Canada doesn’t boast the year-round tropical temperatures that Jamaica enjoys, and dwelling in an condominium constructing or a apartment in a big metropolis like Toronto doesn’t essentially promote a communal-living tradition the place neighbours have a pleasant relationship with one another and may freely go to one another. Regardless of this distinction, many Jamaicans protect their Christmas traditions in Canada by persevering with to bake Christmas fruitcake soaked in Purple Label Wine or the ever-popular J. Wray & Nephew Overproof Rum. Christmas pudding is an alternate delight, and sorrel drink is at all times the Christmas beverage of alternative in nearly each Jamaican family. For a lot of Jamaicans, Christmas time is synonymous with Thanksgiving as they have a good time and provides thanks for the 12 months that’s nearly coming to an finish. Christmas is that particular time of 12 months when Jamaicans put together a superbly adorned ham, rooster, oxtail, fish and a myriad of different Jamaican-styled dishes.
One other main distinction at Christmas time between Jamaica and Canada is the absence of Jamaican Christmas carols blaring by means of speaker packing containers and on radio stations throughout Jamaica. It isn’t simply the decorations of properties, streetlamps, and malls that make Christmas a time of celebration, however it’s the folks connections, the neighborhood spirit, Grand Market, the new Jamaican solar tempered by the cool Caribbean breeze, the events, and the general spirit of a folks whose ancestors discovered a cause to have a good time, not merely for non secular functions, however for socio-historical and political causes that non-Jamaicans and non-Caribbean peoples are usually not capable of relate to.
I want you all a Merry Christmas and a Comfortable and Affluent 2025!
#JamaicanChristmas #ChristmasInCanada #JamaicanTraditions #CaribbeanCulture #HolidayNostalgia #GrandMarket #SorrelSeason
