Letter of the Day | Nothing beats Jamaican Christmas

THE EDITOR, Madam:

Nothing beats Christmas in Jamaica! It is the season of hustle and bustle, surprises, joy, and the moment of compassion and joy.

Christmas at home is like nowhere else, visitors and friends come together from around the world to experience the vibe of Jamaica. It is a unique time when we often show compassion and kindness to others, although sometimes it is always appreciated by the giver and the receiver together.

We each have our own reflection, hopefully mostly happy, of something that we can associate with the celebration of the birth of the Christ child. Some prepare for parties as we look forward to the Christmas Sunday celebrations at church, while others prepare for the gathering of families blended together for a period of celebration and gifting each other and taking care of those around us and the less fortunate.

Trips to the country to visit family and to taste the sweet treats and open-fire meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and from country to town. All together, the ingredients of a season filled with happiness. From sorrel to new shoes and clothing, scent of the barrel from overseas mixed in with the scent of cooking for large gatherings, fried fish, curry goat and chicken mixed in with the rum cake and wine cooling next to the sorrel wine and ginger on the table, joy and happy times float like mist in the air.

This only complements the colours and aromatic fusion of our fruits and flowers that line our streets and gardens in our respective communities as we clean up, paint up and build up our country, always remembering to be responsible and respectful of the people and the land we love by not wasting our resources, by simply sharing and being conscientious of the use of scarce resources of quality time and personal attention to those around us.

Consider contact like a personal conversation, a phone call, just listening or written messages or note, instead of the convenience of a text, tweet, snap chat and other social media and commercial electronic image without personalisation.

Quoting the words of the late Reverend Easton Lee, former broadcaster at the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation, “We Jamaicans are special people. We have and own a language that has been built by all with our story and experience every day. We add a little something to it as we constantly draft memories with colourful expressions from yesterday. “A fi we own-a-language”.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, Jamaica!

PATRICK BROWN

Pembroke Pines, Florida