Nostalgia: The true Guyanese Christmas spirit
By Godfrey Chin
Stabroek News
December 19, 2004
Perhaps it's best to share here snippets and anecdotes from the diaspora of what was so significant about the Guyanese Christmas spirit:
- Writing wishful letters to Father Christmas and kin abroad - hopeful like petitions, that the longer the list, the more bountiful the gifts.
- Big-eye believers, hanging pillow cases, instead of the customary Xmas stockings.
- Earning small change from completing household chores, such as scraping furniture, staining the floors, and selling home-made plaster-of-paris figures, wall plaques, and crepe paper and waxed flowers.
-The smell of Sunlight or carbolic soap, disinfectant and smell-o-pine, used to scrub wooden floors and steps; the new linoleum cut to fit on the kitchen floor and a fresh oil cloth on the dining table; Wallaba wood burning in the Dover Stove - and Flit sprayed to kill the mosquitos.
- Home-made dolly furniture made from cigarette and match boxes glued together, and door mats - from scraps left over from sewing.
-Cloves stuck in the boiled Swift ham which came from England sealed into tar, and the final baking with pine jam; the pepperpot boiling away when only warm-up required.
-The salt butter stirred and washed for sponge and fruit cake, and taking the cake-mix to the neighbourhood bakery; home-made bread baking in the box oven.
- Licking every pan and ladle while helping in the kitchen, with mouth replenished every time mother's back turn.
- Setting rice paddy in bowls - watching them sprout as promise of 'prosperity' in the new year. This was our local version of 'chia-pet.'
- Red Brunswick Canadian apples from open crates in front of Stabroek Market; bunches of grapes nestled in pitch-pine sawdust boxes and weighed on scales.
- Last minute Xmas Eve rush to ensure the house spic and span, and all the condiments, eggs, essence, etc, for the preparation of the food on hand, before shop close.
- Volunteers to kill at least two chickens and a duck, to be hand plucked after pouring boiling water.
- The Xmas Eve night trip for the last window-shop delight downtown, where spin boards, over/under, and 3-card hustlers challenge the ice-apple vendors for your remaining pocket-change.
- The gathering of friends at Fogarty's/Bookers-Universal Square awaiting late closing at nine, Dec 24, then off to a night club.
- Xmas Eve Night 1957, when the Serrao/Fernandes Brothers brought out the first Puttagee steelband ex John Fernandes wharf, and it was 'ol mas' confusion on Water St. The costumes, 'Convicts,' by yours truly, were all hand-painted black stripes on brown cotton, and smoking was prohibited as everyone reeked of turp-sub fumes for the rest of the holidays.
- The midnight mass at the cathedrals, and the peal of the church bells.
- The accomplished pre-season Goodwill, Police, Woodside Choirs at Company Path and institutions, compared to the pick-up, door-to-door carollers at your front door.
- Surprise occasional jouvert-style, early-morning steelband tramps, awakening neighbourhoods to the melodic strains of classic and Xmas tunes.
- The era when songs such as Valerie, Juanita, Doggie in the Window were the local favourite steelband road marches, as we jumped up shamefaced in public, hoping to avoid punishment later at home.
- Garlic pork frying on Christmas morning and the aroma wafting throughout the house.
- The scramble of Xmas morning delight as gifts were opened by all members of the family and the Christmas spirit overflowed like neglected milk scalding on the fire.
- All the neighbouring kids playing with their toys outdoors on Xmas Day, with gun and caps, nail and key bombs, carbon - a cacaphony of youthful bedlam.
- Preparing the Valhalla feasts of Christmas lunch to surpass the American Thanksgiving; home-made drinks of ginger-beer, sorrel, fly, sleepy tonic and every brand of liquor, bush-rum and pac-pac. Designated drivers in those days were our 'wire-cane' teachers, preparing us for Common Entrance.
- Joining the passing steelbands - tramping back to their pan-yard and hoping to find another band going in the direction of your home on the other side of town.
- A last lap tramp organised by the Chinese on New Year's Day from the Lee's residence at High & Hadfield - with a hired steelband.
- Counting how many masquerade bands encountered during the season, and enjoying the santapee maddening flounces to retrieve tossed coins, etc.
The Xmas night dances at Cosmas or Portuguese Club with leading vocalists, Anne Haynes, Pepe, Ted Jones etc, belting out O Holy Night. And the finale jump-up from the string or brass band of the chorus Gloria in Excelsis Deo in soca tempo.
Boxing Day which had no relationship to boxing, but yet fistcards between Len Houston and Kid Galahad or Dewan Singh and Young Joe Louis staged at the Olympic Cinema. Madam Olindy Vaudeville Shows featuring Sam Chase and Jack Mello were added features as a drawing card!
How can you stop us Guyanese for Christmas spirit!
The foregoing tit-bits were shared with me by loyal friends of my diaspora - Arthur Veerasammy, Dr Vibart Cambridge, Wilfred Carr, Marc Matthews, Pluto Martindale, Ed Gordon, Steve Xavier, Tangerine Clarke, Desiree Edgehill - all of whom join with me to wish Guyanese and their families everywhere 'Happy Christmas!'