It’s Christmas 😊

I don’t normally go to church, unless its Christmas or if a very special person passes. 

Then I go to be with their family.

This is not because I am an atheist, but because I hate religion. For in my book, religion is the root of all the evils in the world, having caused most of the bloodshed over the centuries.

In my search for a civilized, non-violent religion, I had even looked into Buddhism one time. Then chaos reigned in Myanmar, and we saw the terrible images of Buddhist Monks, chasing out Rohingya Muslims, killing them and burning their villages.😡

That cured me instantly.

Obviously, the common thread among most religions seems to be vicious dogmatism which dictates that only my religion is the true one, so no one must enjoy this planet unless they subscribe to MY particular religious beliefs!

However I make the exception about avoiding religion and go to churches during Christmas, because I love Christmas music.

 In fact, not just Christmas music but Gospel music in general…….a hangover from the days when I was dragged into boring church services and the music was the only respite.😏

So, when in Jamaica, I even caroling with my friends in Lauristan, Spanish Town, on  Christmas mornings. 

This despite the community’s terrible reputation for violence. However, that problem only applies to small section on the banks of the Rio Cobre River, where squatters have settled.

The rest of the community has solid citizens and my friend Audley Nain, formerly of the Jamaica Folk Singers who is also president of the Citizens Association, started a Christmas ritual years ago whereby we would start at 5 am on Christmas morning,  knocking on peoples’ gates and singing carols loudly.

Then we all converge at the Community Centre where everyone would bring a dish, curried goat, jerk pork, turned cornmeal, hot chocolate, roast breadfruit and on and on😊.

After a sumptuous meal, the kids have their entertainment and we our dominoes, whatever.

How I miss those sessions, although I had the pleasure of joining them to celebrate Jamaica 60 this year. Joan, my views: Memories of Jamaica's 60th Anniversary celebrations. (joan-myviews.blogspot.com)

But I am rambling aren’t I?

This was just a preamble to say how much I enjoyed the Christmas Concert at United Methodist Church in Plantation, Florida, which kicked off the season for me.

This was a Steve Higgins Production, in conjunction with the Consul General of Jamaica, featuring the South Florida Caribbean Chorale.

Steve Higgins as you probably know, is an excellent Jamaican tenor and cultural ambassador.

I enjoyed the entire concert, the interaction between the MC and audience, the music, and even the bits that the Jamaican Consul General to Miami performed.

He seems to be quite charismatic and talented.

I loved too how the choir and other performers switched from traditional Christmas Carols to Jamaican Christmas Carols written by the late, great, Noel Dexter and even one perforemd by Jamaican performer Pluto Shervington.

So, I have saved quite a few clips below for posterity. 

For posterity

 

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2010 was one of my most memorable and enjoyable Christmases in recent memory, or more to the point, since my entire immediate family left for foreign shores.

 Before this year, I spent most of my chrismases having dinner with my late best friend Hilma Walker, who being a flight attendant, never failed to put on a big do whenever she was in Jamaica. After that we would head up to the Lynches for an afternoon of boozing and camaradie.

When she wasn't around, I usually spent the entire day with my close friend, Miss Rites and family (Lynches).This Christmas was very different and far healthier.

You know, although I have lived in Jamaica for 61 of my 64 years and have heard of carol singing at Christmas, I have never experienced it before either as a participant or as a member of the audience. 

You see, since crime climbed out of control, most people would not dare to continue that wonderful Christmas tradition.

 This year though,  I spent Christmas with my friend Audley and Marcia Nain and their daughters at their home in Lauristan, Spanish Town. 

When people hear of Spanish Town, they often conjure up images of violence, but I am here to tell you that I discovered with some degree of awe that Marcia and Audley do not lock up their home until they go to bed at night.

I digress however. 

Audley is the dynamic president of Lauristan Citizens Associastion and being a great singer himself ( his daughter Kim is a rising star with lots of music videos on Utube. Look out for her).

Audley defied the norm in the society and started up carol singing last Christmas in his community. 

This year we got up at 5 am (since it has been ultra cold this Christmas, I had on two sweaters) and set out with Audley on the bull horn, singing carols on top of his voice and waking up the neighbourhood wishing them Merry Christmas. We were slowly joined by other shivering members of the community until we got to the community Centre around 7am.

There they had a Christmas tree and huge pots were boiling away as some citizens were preparing breakfast. Others who did not like to wake up early brought food . After a small concert and the exchange of gifts pixie style I had the most delicious turned corn meal and barbecue pork with a slice of roasted breadfruit and mackerel. Had I been greedy, there was also yam, banana , ackee and satfish, callaloo and sandwiches. But being a small eater, I finished off with a couple cups of real country hot chocolate and some Christmas cake.

At around noon about nine of us went over to Juniors house to travel together to Aunt Nessa in Mandeville for Christmas dinner. Aunt Nessa is Audley's aunt who is returning resident living in a huge house in Mandeville. Junior is Audley's young brother and he is otherwise known as Bishop Rohan Edwards who has made quite a name for himself organising the 10 thousand man march against violence and other national activities. His son Jermain Edwards is a famous gospel artist who tours quite a lot and has made quite a name for himself in the gospel music world.

After a long wait we eventually set out just before 2 pm and reached aunt Nessa around 3pm. They had been waiting so long for us that it was straight into dinner, excellent food, then dominoes. I must say I have never beaten up a ' man of the cloth ' before but Junior and his partner, a guy from Boston, got two six loves. We got none. After a wonderful afternoon, Jermain who drives a Benz, had to return home on a wrecker for the benz had mechanical problems. We left later and returned to Spanish Town safely around 9pm.

On Sunday morning, I came over to Kingston after breakfast and did pass the indomitable Fun and Thrills riders at Ferry, as they had ridden over to Hellishire for breakfast and were just coming home.

 I relished my air condition and after shouting out to them and seeing them sweating away in the hot sun!

On Sunday afternoon I headed back to Spanish Town for a dominoe party and spent the night there. On Monday which was also a holiday, we resumed playing around 1pm.

 

I tell you it was an absolutely wonderful weekend and either I am becoming very good at dominoes or everyone else is regressing, for although I dropped two six loves over the period, I got none. Just one technical.

I am quite proud of myself actually!

Link; https://youtu.be/L3sgIci5ffs