Merry Christmas!

Christmas in another culture is always an eye-opener, I think. Especially when you are away from your family and all that you have known Christmas to entail. I mean an eye-opener in the sense that realizations can be made. My first realization is that it does not feel like Christmas for me when my family and I are not physically together. Not just my Mom and Dad, but my Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, and of course the Lally family and such. My second realization is that I will forever associate Christmas with winter weather. Don’t get me wrong, the Jamaican warm weather is lovely, but I’m not ready to be without my winter wonderland on Christmas.

Let me share what I have learned about the Jamaicans and some of their Christmas traditions. First, the Christmas season starts at the beginning of November and gradually increases with spirit up until Christmas day (we do that too obviously).

Sorrel is a delicious Christmas drink here, made with rum, ginger, and of course the deep red, sorrel plant!

On Christmas Eve, traffic in the Kingston area is way more chaotic than usual, on account of the amount of people who travel to town for shopping, singing, and dancing on the streets.

Church is lovely, with lots of instruments, singing, and lights everywhere. Christmas lights are called "pepper lights."

Reggae Christmas songs can be found on the radio and country people come together to cut down the bush to make the roads nice for Christmas.

Instead of baking cookies like Americans tend to do around the Christmas season, the Jamaicans seem to be big on baking breads or “Christmas cake.” I have found a typical Christmas cake to be a wine bread of some sort.

Lastly, the Christmas day celebration seems to be centered on family and attending church services. I can’t say I don’t mind these values!

The past few weeks have been different for me here in Jamaica. I spent much time laying around and resting as a result of slipping down a hill in Mt. Friendship when walking some kids home from school. I “mashed up” my ankle a bit by damaging the ligaments. Thankfully, I can say that in times of dire need, like me sitting half way down a hill and not being able to move, that I can depend on the people in my mission for help. The assistance and care I received from the Mt. Friendshipers and my roommates were angelic.

Much of my sitting around enabled me to help wrap about 300 presents to be donated to one of the Mustardseed Communities, just outside Spanish Town. The wrapping was tedious, but having the opportunity to distribute them to the disabled children close to Christmas was well worth all the work. These children have real appreciation for what they have and all they receive. A simple yo-yo or toy car can become someone’s proudest possession!
My Christmas day was joyful as my roommates and I exchanged Secret Santa gifts with each other. We sat around our Jamaican Christmas tree, which is completely brown and looks like it could have bared fruit at one time, and next to our homemade, red and green stockings we made for each other. Separating from our American comfort zone, otherwise known as our apartment, we went to each of missions for mass on Christmas day. The food bags were handed out that we scrambled to get together, and of course the books from our book drive! Each child received 2 books appropriate for their age and gender. I can’t tell you how incredible it is to watch these children as they receive their gifts. The relationships we have formed with the children in our missions are so incredibly special that the thought of leaving them one day causes heartache.

Merry Christmas Everyone!