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Economy hurts Guyanese Christmas in New York

Dec 24, 2008 News

This has been the slowest Christmas I have ever seen on Liberty Avenue, Queens, the hub of shopping for Christmas-related food items among the large Guyanese population in the New York metro region.
As I walked the avenue, people are not seen in their usual numbers and business is way down, the worst in many years.  Merchants complain of slow sales and shoppers said they are careful about how they spend their money because of the slowing economy in America.
Businesses are not hosting the lavish parties of yesteryear and homeowners are not as extravagant with their decorations.  Even gifting and charitable contributions are down.  It is just not a fantastic X-Mas for the Guyanese masses this year.
There has been a lot of belt tightening in America because of the depressed economy and it has affected the holiday spending among the Guyanese population.  The anemic American economy has put a damper on their holiday spirits with people not in their strong party mood of previous seasons and not giving as much as they normally do. Nevertheless, in visits to neighbourhoods where they are settled, Guyanese communities are geared up for the holidays celebrating the holiday in almost the same way they do back home. The brightly coloured lights, trimmings and other decorations in NY harp back to memories of a Guyana Christmas.
The holiday season among NY Guyanese is one of expectancy and there is an aura of X-Mas celebration in the air on Liberty Avenue as they shop for West Indian-related food items. But shopkeepers complain business has not been the same as last year.  People are shopping for smaller gifts although they purchase regular food items they consume during the holidays.
The stores and restaurants are teeming with people of different ethnic background but not as crowded as last year.  They come from as far away as the Carolinas and upstate NY to acquire all the items that will give the holiday a feeling almost as the same as back home.
Liberty Avenue itself and many of the stores are well decorated, fitting for the yuletide season. Multi-coloured lights and other paraphernalia are on display in front of and inside the stores.  Christmas music emanate from some of the stores.  The aroma of delicious dishes wafts in the air near restaurants tempting even filled stomachs to go on for a bite.
Also, the “village” of Richmond Hill and other areas where our people are settled are appropriately dressed up to welcome the holidays. Going around the neighborhoods where Guyanese cluster, one can see flickering multi-colored lights with a variety of designs which line the windows and entrance to the homes and even on trees outside on the lawn.
Outside the homes, lights flicker next to Hindu Jhandis to signal the secular nature of the season. But one just does not see the massive number of homes or paraphernalia that normally go with the season – a result of people losing income in recent months.
(Vishnu Bishram)

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