Christmas in Jamaica

Christmas Eve in Jamaica isn’t a quiet family holiday like in many other countries.

Indeed, Jamaicans go outdoors to party with friends, shop at Gran’ Markets, and watch performances – perhaps, street celebrations have something to do with a warm climate.

However, Jamaicans also observe universal Christmas traditions. They decorate the Christmas tree, exchange gifts, feast with the family, and attend church services.

Jamaica has all it takes for a perfect getaway, but tourists rarely consider it for their Christmas vacation. That’s a pity because Jamaica at Christmas time is undoubtedly worth a visit.

Christmas Food in Jamaica

Jamaican Christmas celebrations revolve around indulgent food. Jamaican Christmas dishes are similar to American and European but don’t lack local peculiarities.

The main entrée is typically curried goat served with gungo beans and rice. Jamaicans prefer to use all parts of an animal in cooking, so the entrails make a delicious hearty soup.

Gungo pea soup with ham and vegetable mix is delicious and healthy. Jamaicans also serve Christmas ham, usually topped with pineapples and cocktail cherries for a tropical flair.

Although macaroni and cheese may not seem a particularly festive dish, it’s popular at the Jamaican Christmas table.

Anyone invited to a Jamaican home for Christmas can expect to get a glass of the traditional drink sorrel, made with sepals of a sorrel flower, rum, ginger, and spices. Its taste is similar to mulled wine but sweeter and without citrus notes.

Another traditional Jamaican Christmas drink is egg punch. The Jamaican eggnog version is made with Guinness stout rather than rum or brandy.

Jamaicans eat Christmas pudding, a delicious fruit cake soaked in wine or rum with a variety of dried fruit for dessert. Jamaicans cook it months in advance and eat it throughout the entire Christmas season.

Another Jamaican Christmas dessert is potato pudding, favored by people across the Caribbean.

Christmas Decorations in Jamaica

Although the winter weather in Jamaica isn’t particularly Christmassy, decorations make up for the lack of snow. Christmas lights, or, as Jamaicans call them, pepper lights, are everywhere – on locals’ homes, shrubs, stores, veranda grills, and streets.

Many public places set up elaborate festive displays with holiday characters, including Santa, reindeer, and angels. Christmas trees are a universal holiday decoration worldwide, even in regions that lack evergreen coniferous trees.

Fortunately, pine trees grow all across Jamaica, so locals can get a natural, fragrant Christmas tree. Jamaicans decorate their trees with baubles, tinsel, pepper lights, and traditional ornaments.

City councils put up large Christmas trees on main squares. The tree lighting is always a significant event, often accompanied by fireworks, carol singing, distribution of gifts to children, and delivery of Christmas wishes from town officials.

Christmas wreaths are hung on every Jamaican home’s door, usually adorned with poinsettias. These fiery red flowers can be found in every Jamaican garden because they are native to the region.

Nativity scenes depicting Mary, Joseph, Jesus in a manger, and shepherds surrounding him are a focal point of the holiday. Often, local kids make nativity scenes at schools.

There aren’t many fireplaces and chimneys in Jamaica, so locals rarely hang stockings for Santa, yet inflatable Santa decorations are found in every public space.

Another popular Jamaican Christmas decoration is pine cones – they are collected from Caribbean pine trees and used in wreaths, garlands, and as centerpieces.

Interestingly, Jamaicans don’t put down their decorations once Christmas is over. Many locals leave the decorations up for several weeks after New Year’s.

Gift Giving Traditions

Jamaicans give gifts to their loved ones on Christmas Day like most Christians. Parents reward their children for good behavior by gifting new gadgets, clothes, toys, or anything else they can afford.

Often, Jamaicans exchange gifts with colleagues as part of the Secret Santa tradition. People write their names on pieces of paper and throw them into a hat or bag.

Then, everyone pulls out one paper and buys a gift for the person whose name is written on it. Everyone receives their gift on the last day of work before Christmas and must guess who their Secret Santa is.

Most importantly, Jamaicans strive to share the festive spirit with vulnerable groups by giving them food, small gifts, or store certificates.

Jamaican kids receive gifts from Santa, who looks like American Santa but doesn’t ride a sleigh or wear a fur-trimmed suit because of the weather.

Jamaican Santa Claus leaves gifts under the Christmas tree rather than in stockings and enters homes through the window because Jamaicans don’t have chimneys.

Jonkunnu

The annual festival Jonkunnu is a blend of African masquerades, Jamaican dancing, and British folk plays. Back in colonial days, Jonkunnu performers would go from house to house, dancing and singing for locals in exchange for food and drinks.

Jonkunnu bands play fifes, drums, and rattles. The traditional characters include the King, Queen, Devil, Belly Woman, Cow Head, Policeman, Horse Head, Bride, and Wild Apache Indian. Costumes are always handmade with great attention to detail.

The earliest mentions of the traditions date from the 18th century. Historians suppose Jonkunnu was named after John Canoe, a west African merchant.

This tradition is similar to caroling in the U.S. and Britain and koleda in Eastern Europe and the Balkans. But instead of Christmas Eve, it takes place on Boxing Day, December 26, and New Year’s Day.

Jonkunnu has nothing to do with Christmas apart from the date. In the Bahamas, Jonkunnu parades also take place on Independence Day and other public holidays. Still, the festival elevates the festive spirit.

Christmas Markets

When we hear about Christmas markets, most imagine cozy wooden stalls somewhere in Austria or Germany, exuding the aroma of mulled wine and glistening in fairy lights.

However, Jamaicans also have Christmas markets, albeit very different from traditional European ones. In Jamaica, holiday markets are known as Gran’ Markets and are held across the entire island.

You won’t find wooden stalls in Jamaican Gran’ Markets, but the goods selection is as plentiful as in any other holiday fair. Locals sell traditional foods, drinks, gifts, clothes, and crafts.

Additionally, Gran’ Markets involve festive events with singing, dancing, and traditional music. These events are usually held on the town streets closed for vehicular traffic, unlike European markets held on city squares.

In many countries, city streets become empty on Christmas Eve as people gather with family to celebrate, but this is not the case in Jamaica.

On the opposite, locals come out for last-minute shopping to find perfect gifts for their loved ones and have fun with friends. Often, Jamaicans participate in impromptu street dancing.

Caroling & Music

Jonkunnu isn’t a Jamaican substitute for caroling – locals do both. Jamaican community and church groups walk through rural neighborhoods at Christmas time, singing at doorsteps and receiving tokens of appreciation.

Jamaican Christmas carols are familiar to every American – Little Drummer Boy, White Christmas, Silber Bells, Oh Come All Ye Faithful, and We Three Kings.

However, many festive songs are unique to the region, such as Let Christmas Catch You In A Good Mood by The Joe Gibbs Allstars, Sing de Chorus by Noel Dexter, and Santa Ketch up in a Mango Tree by Faith D ‘Aguilar.

These songs aren’t sung at doorsteps but play in shopping malls, bars, and Jamaican homes.

Church Services

Midnight Mass is a universal Christmas tradition across all Christian denominations and countries. Jamaicans, too, attend church services commemorating the birth of Jesus on Christmas Eve.

Locals gather with their loved ones in the evening and start celebrating. Then, they get ready for the Midnight Mass – women wear their best dresses, and men wear formal suits. The Midnight Mass usually begins at about 10 p.m. and ends around midnight.

During the Mass, people sing hymns, listen to biblical readings, and pray. After the Mass, many churches have candlelit ceremonies – candles represent Jesus as the light of the world.

Some of the largest Midnight Masses in Jamaica are held in the Cathedral of St. Jago de la Vega, Saint James Parish Church, and Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Interestingly, Jamaica has more churches per square kilometer than any other country. The nation is highly religious, so attending church for Christmas is a must. There’s no excuse because everyone has at least one church in the neighborhood.

Boxing Day

The Jonkunnu parade isn’t the only notable Boxing Day event in Jamaica. Unlike Americans, Jamaicans don’t go shopping on Boxing Day because most stores are closed.

Instead, locals go out to watch pantomimes involving comedy, dancing, and colorful consumes. Many people go to the beach with the family because it’s a day of relaxation after long celebrations.

Boxing Day is also a time of gratitude to people serving the community, from delivery men to policemen and store assistants. Jamaicans generously tip them or give them gifts.