While persons in other parts of the country would celebrate Christmas at home with their families, the residents of Orealla and Siparuta, Berbice River, have major outdoor festivities.
In Orealla, families would pack their baskets and head out to the resort while at Siparuta they would go out for a fun day and have a “big cook” and play games.
In preparation for Christmas the residents of Siparuta decorate their homes and different sections of the village including the “office corner and the stelling front.”
According to Judith Adrian, 26, on Christmas Eve night they would take the Christmas tree to the church in time for the service and later do an exchange of gifts.
They would then gather at the village council with different dishes that they had prepared at home and share these while catching up on some “ole gaff.”
Some persons would also choose to attend the only disco in the area and “sport until the next day.”
At midnight members of the sports group would also dress up as masqueraders and go around the community to entertain persons.
This would last for about half hour but on Old Year’s night it would be for two hours when they “would go from house to house. We drive around with tractors and greet everybody.” The members also give out little local gifts “just for fun.”
She told this newspaper too that residents would meet at the church at 6 on Christmas morning for a tea party after preparing food items to take there.
Later they would meet again for the grand fun day where they would “cook together, eat together.” They would also engage in various competitions, including “bag race and eating race.”
Adrian said the menu would include fried rice, chowmein and baked chicken. Although pepperpot is an Amerindian dish, it is not prepared on that day although it is a special for most other Guyanese.
Orealla
Most of the residents in Orealla, Berbice River prefer to spend Christmas picnicking at the resort with their families and having a “good time” swimming in the creek and playing games.
A youth from the area, Liandro Daniels, 16, told this newspaper that “for Christmas the place is always brighter. Everyone who works or attends school on the coast [Corentyne] would return home.”
It is a time when the community would come together from 6.30 pm to 11 pm on Christmas Eve for a major church service.
After that most of the youths would “go clubbing at Ray’s Dancehall” into the wee hours of the morning.
Most of the other residents would wake early the next morning to wish each other a merry Christmas. Liandro said it is customary for his family to visit and clean his grandfather’s grave on that morning.
The day would continue with the majority of the residents going to Steve’s Resort, situated close to a creek leading to Siparuta and have picnics. After swimming, playing games and partaking in various dishes, they would enjoy themselves until 5 pm when it is time for the resort to close.
He said the fun would continue with some persons going for “strolls on the hill-top and burst[ing] firecrackers” or purchasing bar-b-ques. They would return home around 1 am.
For Daniels, it is customary for his family to prepare chowmein, fried rice, crab, cassava bread and fried chicken or fish on Christmas Day.
He said they would decorate their homes a little but most of the decorating would be done at the churches, benabs and other public places in the community.
