Renowned American author and journalist Hal Borland once remarked: “Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” So while 2011 is coming to an end, 2012 is the beginning of savings with Jamaica hotels and attractions offering travelers affordable ways to celebrate the holidays and usher in the New Year island-style. Visit Jamaica for a memorable holiday and winter season and experience an unforgettable getaway.
- Learn more about our Jamaica vacation Experiences with Caribbean Resort Specialist.com
’TIS THE SEASON TO BE JAMMIN’ IN JAMAICA
The holiday season in Jamaica is filled with thrilling adventures and exciting cultural festivities. Season your winter getaway with the island’s traditional cuisine and a dash of colorful, upbeat festivals that commemorate the destination’s unique and rich heritage.
Authentic Jamaican Holiday Cuisine
Dining in Jamaica over the holidays is an unforgettably festive experience filled with treats. A traditional dinner is likely to include the following specialties:
* Roast ham, chicken, oxtail or curried goat, accompanied by a sweet yam called yampi.
* Jamaican fruitcake, made with fruits that are marinated for months in rum or port, with a final dousing at the Christmas table.
* Sorrel wine, created from the red fruit of the sorrel plant fermented to a sweetened, red-colored drink spiced with ginger, cloves and pimento, and laced with white rum.
Jamaican Holiday Traditions
Among Jamaica’s best-known celebrations of Christmas are Grand Market and Jonkonnu.
The Grand Market (or Gran' Market) is a community fair that features food, street dancing, crafts and music. Markets all over the island are set up with vendor stalls selling small toys, balloons, and a huge range of delicious sweets, including pinda (an African word for peanut) cakes, grater cakes and peppermint sticks. Traditionally on Christmas Eve, some markets are decorated with streamers, balloons and large accordion-style bells. Local residents dress up in colorful costumes, including bright hats purchased at the Grand Market. This fun event is an irresistible magnet, drawing residents to town for a celebration that continues all day and night.
Jonkonnu is a traditional Christmas celebration in which revelers parade through the streets dressed in dazzling masquerade, continuing a custom brought over from Africa by slaves who were transplanted to Jamaica. Jonkonnu bands include a mix of traditional and modern characters, varying across the island. They include: Cow Head or Horse Head, King, Queen (wearing a veil), Devil, Pitchy-Patchy, Red Indians, Belly Woman (a character dressed to look enormously pregnant), and Policeman, a mock officer of the law to keep the motley crew and crowd in check.
Courtesy of the Jamaica Tourism Board
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