Christmas and New Years is the time of year for families and friends to be together, and what better way is there to spend it than on a Caribbean bareboat charter? Yuletide in the Caribbean is hardly the traditional Christmas card scenery. Sun-bathed palm trees, turquoise seas and dazzling white or lava black sand beaches are the view which will greet families this time of year. It may not be visions of sugar plums dancing in your head, but few things conjure up idyllic visions as clearly as the thought of a Caribbean bareboat charter. Isolated beaches, romantic moonlit evenings, swimming, snorkeling, scuba diving, walks, hikes, island explorations and island night life are but a handful of the possibilities available when you choose a bareboat sailing charter in the Caribbean. With winter temperatures averaging 79-81F, you are sure to have a happy, sunny holiday. Life is always laid back in the Caribbean, but no one ever needs an excuse for a party. The islands are well known for their colorful celebrations, but the one big party that extends essentially from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day is especially lively and joyous.
Each of the islands has its own traditions and ways of celebrating the holiday season that reflect the local culture, and yet, there are some activities that are common to the tropical paradise known as the Caribbean including exchanging greeting cards; decorating homes with fun paint colors and new colorful window coverings; gift-giving; various types of "Christmas trees" that are decorated with ribbons, ornaments and colored lights; family feasts; church celebrations, and of course lots of awesome music, dancing and parades. Some of the common customs for celebrating Christmas in the Caribbean are as follows:
Christmas Cards: Historically, the only cards available were from the colonial countries that controlled the Caribbean, such as Spain, England, Europe, and the United States. The cards mirrored what was happening in those countries. Therefore, it was typical to have cards wishing people a, "white Christmas" - an experience completely foreign to the Caribbean. Today, cards are often handmade, have a Caribbean flavor to them, and reflect the reality of the islands. They are sent to each other, as well as to family and friends around the world.
Gift Giving: Even in the Caribbean, Santa is still a worldwide magical symbol of gift giving and an anticipated visitor of children. He enters the house down the chimney, down the wall, or through a keyhole when the children are sleeping. Gifts are left in stockings or under the bed sheets.
Redecorating the Home: Throughout the islands, it is traditional to give the house a thorough cleaning. If affordable, the house may be painted inside and out. New curtains are often put up and furniture is often polished or varnished, or a new piece of furniture might be purchased for the holidays.
Radio, Television and Telephones: If you are on a bareboat charter during the holidays, you will hear radio stations playing a variety of Christmas music. In the past, Christmas radio programs were based on telephone greetings recorded and packaged as a program, or even aired live on Christmas Day. Caribbean television airs many Christmas spectaculars, as well as some aired from abroad. Since technology has made it possible to stay connected, telephone calls are made throughout the Caribbean as well as international calls to and from the United States, Canada, Britain and Europe.
Hospitality: At Christmastime, the people of the Caribbean go well beyond their usual warm hospitality. Families prepare food, traditional cakes (like the Caribbean Black cake) and other goodies not only for themselves, but for others including relatives, friends and co-workers.
Christmas Music: There are basically three types of music played during the season, and if you happen to be on a bareboat charter during this time, you can experience all of them. Religious Christmas music is the hymns, songs and classical compositions used in churches. Some of this religious music is referred to as "Christmas carols." Popular Christmas music refers to the songs about non-Christian themes that are well known throughout the world, like Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer.
Finally, there is Christmas folk music that varies from island to island, but is often part of the masquerade. masquerade bands are a common sight on the streets of the Caribbean during the holidays. The term comes from masque (mask) because the participants wear masks which are supposed to have some particular meaning or achieve some particular effect. The tradition is African. The instruments used to present this music include drums (including steel drums), flutes, gourd rattles, tambourines, sticks, human voice, and anything else that can be used to make a musical sound. The main performers are the dancers and musicians. In addition to their facial masks, the participants wear elaborate, colorful costumes made of fabric, mesh, tinsel, sequins and other items. While the musicians play, the dancers interact with the crowds of onlookers with their fancy footwork. New Year's celebrations also may vary from island to island, but most include parties that involve lots of dancing and music. If you are lucky enough to be on a bareboat charter in the Caribbean during Yuletide, you might be part of the following specific traditions:
British Virgin Islands: On Jost Van Dyke, there is the mother of all New Year's Eve parties when Foxy's Bar and Restaurant hosts the Old Year Celebration. Hundreds of boats and dinghies lash themselves together and Great Harbour is turned into one large floating party complete with food, drinking, dancing, and the best music. This celebration is said to be one of the best New Year's Eve parties worldwide!
St. Martin: On December 19th, there is a Lighting Parade - a show of Christmas costumes in the streets of Grand-Case. On December 20th, the winners of the Annual Christmas Lights Competition are announced. If you have seen the light displays, it is incredible and participants take the contest very seriously! Christmas Eve brings dancing, dining and Midnight Mass. On New Year's Eve, the Reveillon de la Sainte Sylvestre is held. This is a festival celebration with noisemakers, balloons, and late night dancing.
St. Barth: There are gala parties in the hotels and restaurants for New Year's Eve. Do not be surprised if you brush elbows with some celebrities. Or, if you prefer something a little lower key, have a Jimmy Buffet hamburger at the famous, "Cheeseburger in Paradise" restaurant in Gustavia.
St. Kitts and Nevis: A firework display over the harbor in Basseterre begins the holiday season December 1st. St. Kitts has its carnival over the Christmas holidays. This is one huge party with music and dancing in the streets. It features calypso, steel bands, the Big Drum and Fife Corps, children's dancing troupes, Mocko Jumbies, clowns and string bands, as well as masquerade. There are also competitions such as the Queen Show, Calypso Monarch Competition and the Caribbean Talented Teen Competition. Festive foods include roti, goat water, black pudding, Johnny cakes and conch.
Antigua and Barbuda: Antiguans and Barbudans often spend Christmas Eve on Market Street doing last minute shopping. In the past, some people covered their yards with sand to simulate snow, but this tradition is now rarely done. On Christmas Day, it is traditional to eat pork, and on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas), it is traditional to eat pepper pot. There is a Christmas masquerade party at the museum. On Christmas Day, there is a champagne celebration in Nelson's Boatyard where locals and visitors gather to listen to live bands, drink champagne and enjoy the colorful, festive atmosphere.
Montserrat: Traditional fare at Christmas time is roast pig, goat water (stewed goat meat), potato pudding and dooknah (potato, coconut, oil and sugar wrapped in chainee bush). A number of celebrations converge around Christmas time. Apart from the house to house caroling, there are masquerade competitions, Mocko Jumbies, and a Miss Montserrat Show.
Guadeloupe: There is a jazz festival that is held December 14-16th in Pointe a Pitre. On Christmas Eve, midnight mass is held with French and Creole carols. On December 28, a Young Saint's Day Parade is held with children carrying their Christmas toys.
Martinique: There is a Rum Festival that is held at the St. James Museum in Sainte Marie. Also, a Christmas Caroling Festival is held in Saint Joseph. Visitors from bareboat charters can join the locals in celebrating midnight mass on Christmas Eve and festive dining and dancing at many hotels and restaurants on New Year's Eve.
St. Lucia: One of the Christmastime traditions is called, "bursting the bamboo." Beginning the end of November and continuing until New Years, you can hear the sounds of bamboo bursting during the night. Neighborhood men use kerosene with rag and stick fuses to make canons out of hallowed out bamboo.
Barbados: Christmas Day in Barbados is a day for feasting. Among the favorites you might experience are green peas and rice; baked ham; roast pork with crackling and gravy; fish; pepper pot; yam pie; plantains and much more. There is also a traditional Christmas cake (called Black cake throughout the islands) and Christmas pudding. The pudding is made of currents, raisins, sultanas, and other dried fruit that is steamed for 3 or more hours in a large saucepan with boiling water. It is then turned out onto a serving dish and warm rum or brandy is poured over it and flamed. It is often served with a butter rum sauce.
St. Vincent: An interesting aspect of the Christmas season is the pre-Christmas celebration called Nine Mornings - observed for nine days between December 16th and December 24th. It features early morning street activities that begin at 4am. The activities include parades through the streets of Kingstown, bicycle races, sea bathing, string bands, serenades, street vendors selling everything imaginable, caroling and singing. Food, drink and the sounds of steel drums are everywhere, but by 7am, the Nine Morning activities give way to regular work day.
Mustique: On New Year's Eve, there is a famous party with two bands and celebrations galore at Basil's Bar. After the New Year celebrations, preparations begin for the Famous Blues Festival that is held at Basil's from January 23-February 6th.
Carriacou: In Carriacou, a dependency of Grenada, there is the famous Parang Music Festival that is held December 21st -23rd. This annual event is one of the most beloved in the Caribbean, and attracts many fantastic musicians. Unlike the Parang Festival in neighboring Trinidad and Tobago where the Parang songs are sung in Spanish, everything is sung in English. The songs use calypso-like themes. Instruments include bass drums, guitars, quartos, violins, maracas (called shack-shacks), mandolins, saxophones and tambourines. Regardless of the different rituals, customs and traditions that may be present on each island, no matter where you go on your Caribbean bareboat charter, the holiday season is a festive and joyous occasion that you are welcome to be a part of. If you want to do something really special this year with your family and friends, book your bareboat charter, and celebrate Christmas and New Year's Caribbean-style. It will be a holiday you will never forget!
Donna Wolfson also know as "Sailgirl" at Virgin Island Sailing, has been sailing in the Caribbean and writing about it for years. Learn more about a Caribbean Bareboat Charter
