Hi Everyone,
By the time you read this, the Pepperpot would have been made, the garlic pork set, the ham defrosted and possibly baked, the sorrel and ginger beer made and the Christmas cake, baked. The mutton and duck would have been ordered and perhaps collected. Christmas is here.
One of the very many things we like about Christmas is the feast that dominates the dining table. But it is more than just the food that we crave; it is the company that’s assembled around the table that makes the meal so special, so precious and so memorable. As we gather, memories are recalled and shared, bonds are renewed and strengthened; connections are made.
All year long, we look forward to the sorrel that’s only in season at Christmas and prefer the version that a particular friend or relative makes. The same goes for the Christmas cake, Bajan Jug Jug, Grenadian Spice Cake, or Trinbagonian Pastelles etc. There is something special in the air at Christmas time, the sights, sounds and smells that contribute to that Christmassy taste of the many delights offered up. It’s a feeling, mood and atmosphere caught up in a moment that is special.
As I sat thinking aloud about what to say to you on the eve of Christmas, my mom, who’s visiting for the holidays remarked, “These days I find people are cooking Christmas food all year round.” That is so true! Since earlier in the year, on one of my visits to Guyana, I had noticed that you could walk into many eating establishments and get any of the “special” foods that would normally have only been made and served at Eid, Easter, Diwali or Christmas. While I like the idea that if one is visiting for just a weekend, they can get one of these special treats, it is not the same when you eat it, for a number of reasons. The feasts, festivals and holiday foods have become commercialized, generic, and many of them lack the signature taste that lets you know that yes, this is mitai, cross buns, parsad or ginger beer. The other thing is that the atmosphere, the environment and company that combined to make these special foods the favoured offerings they are, are not there. Something is missing; the atmosphere that contributes to our taste is absent. The common availability of these speciality foods has made them less special.
Ever since I made this observation earlier in the year, I have been meaning to write and ask your opinion about it. Should holiday and special occasions’ food remain sacred and only be made and served at those appointed times? Are we taking away something from our food heritage when we take what’s considered distinctive and make it humdrum? There are traditions, stories, and rituals – ways in which we mark our lives that are associated with these types of foods and their preparation; they define us. Should we lose those? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
In the meantime, as we gather our friends and loved ones, let’s pause to remember those who are no longer with us… the now empty chair at the table, the jokes they once told, the way they teased us, their laughter that brightened our lives, and the memories that we’ll hold dear.
May the peace and blessings of Christmas be with us all.
Merry Christmas everybody!
Cynthia
