WHAT I MISS ABOUT A GUYANESE CHRISTMAS

Dec 25, 2012 News

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Dellex Aguste (USA)
Dellex’s last Christmas in Guyana was in 2001 and since then he has longed for a truly Guyanese Christmas even though he is in close contact with his Guyanese relatives in New York where he resides.

But despite being around his countrymen, for him, nothing beats a Christmas in the ‘Country’ – Nabaclis on the East Coast of Demerara to be precise.
“What I really miss is all the closeness… you know, with everyone being spirited and joyful and thankful. All the Christmas carols, the decorations, and everyone sharing and being merry. It was always a comfortable happy feeling, like everything slowed down and was in slow motion for that whole week.
I also miss the food; pepperpot mostly. I haven’t had that since I left Guyana…but luckily my mom made me some before she left for Guyana. The black cake and sponge cake…oh my!!! I used to eat the black cake and walk around playing big man saying I’m drunk because of all the rum in it.
It was just the whole environment, and the closeness of everyone and how peaceful and joyful everything was. It was like time slowed down to make us enjoy that time.
Over here, in America, it’s all about work, work, work.  I mean you do get time off, yes, but if you don’t have a big time job, then you have to work on Christmas Day and every other national holiday; and for me, it makes me wish of being back home all the time, laughing and enjoying the festivities and feasts.
That’s what I miss most about Christmas in Guyana.”

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Roscoe Harper (Canada)

He left Guyana as a teenager almost 20 years ago. Over the years, Roscoe has been in and out of Guyana but not necessarily at Christmastime. However, whenever he gets the opportunity, he never gives up the chance to leave the cold of his Toronto, Ontario home for “a few days of fun, sun and rum”.

“I really don’t like being away from my beautiful Guyana at Christmastime. I know everybody will say that Christmas is the best in their own country….but there ain’t no Christmas like a Guyanese Christmas.  Who could forget those Christmas party days in primary school…drinking Banko at the back of the school?”

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Rochelle Harry (Trinidad and Tobago)

Rochelle has been in the twin-island Republic since 2006 and has never been home for Christmas since then. She is hurting because her closest family members are not with her. Her two sons reside in the USA.

A native of Haslington on the East Coast of Demerara, Rochelle knows a lot about the traditional Christmas celebrations in Guyana. Although Christmas in the twin-island Republic is probably the closest to what obtains in Guyana, nothing can compare to the festive season in her homeland.
“I miss my pepperpot; going to this house and that house, and exchanging food and cake. I also miss my extended family…My sons… My My! I miss Christmas back home. I miss the warmth of my people and all my family and friends…I am among strangers here mostly. I miss singing Christmas songs at the top of my voice in front of my house.”

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Demarus Farinha (United Kingdom)

Demarus left Guyana 20 years ago; quite a long time to miss a truly Guyanese Christmas. However, he has been a regular visitor to Guyana; that is whenever time permits. He tries his best to schedule his visits around Christmastime, with his most recent being in 2008.
This year, no such opportunity has presented itself and Demarus is filled with nostalgia as he can only visualize what could have been.
“I actually think in Guyana a lot of emphasis is placed on the all-round experience – food as you said ,the parties and festivities, but also the spiritual and charitable side is emphasised, and unlike western countries, all of these facets are more clearly connected and placed well within the reach of the average Guyanese.
“Ok, ok, ok…apart from the friends, family and good food – that special touch that is peculiar to Guyanese people…I do miss the all-round feeling of being home experiencing the variety of food that is truly characteristic of Guyanese in particular…and the Old Year’s night parties (here they refer to it as New Year’s Eve) which are worth the trip home in itself.”
“Catching up with school friends in a jovial season lifts the spirits of all parties. Over here, if it snows its considered a blessed ‘icemas’, where traditionally you gather with the family – there is often less drinking or partying as you have to consider the health and safety implications of drunk driving etc !
For us West Indians, the party scene is often more reserved and subsequently less enjoyable here…not to mention in a big city, it’s harder to get everyone together or see folks as a rule, whereas in GT, you look forward to catching up with friends and family. You however do your best to eat as many Guyanese traditional Christmas dishes as possible…with an English twist though. Forgot to mention, the shopping is crazy here; no room to park, no room to move, long queues – everything takes longer – GT is little or no hassle for me in this regard.”
“Like in GT, we do have staff parties…Yeah, they’re usually a nice posh venue; company picking up the tab; drink and eat as much as you like…and rub shoulders with senior management – Black tie affair…
listen to a few boring speeches first – company direction etc. then party time, but not like in Guyana.”

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Denver Harper (Brooklyn, New York)

Denver grew up with his grandparents in Golden Grove on the East Coast of Demerara, and everyone knows that the old ‘country’ people used to “live it up” at Christmastime.

There was always that tantalizing smell of garlic pork and ‘bun sugar’ in every home in the village; that’s the background from which Denver came. His longing for a truly Guyanese Christmas started way back in 2003 when he left these shores. His grandmother is no longer around, but he was lucky this year that a relative had travelled to Guyana earlier this month, and he took the opportunity to order his local stuff, to make up for not being able to come home for Christmas.
“I miss the pepperpot, garlic pork, ginger beer and fresh fruits that make the black cake and the nice fresh thyme that we use to season meat. I hope to come next year to have some of those memories – those foods my grandmother used to make. I wish I can taste those food again. I miss the staff parties. I was a public servant at the Ministry of Finance, as well as Citizens Bank, and in my time the Christmas parties there were hot – non-stop liquor and food. Wow! How I miss those days!”

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