With the much anticipated Phagwah holiday today we asked people in Berbice what their plans were. Their comments follow:
Interviews and photos
by David Papannah
Seeta Lackram – vendor: ‘Me can’t do nothing cause meh get dead. So meh gon just spend the day normal and relax. But meh does cook and normally go and play Phagwah with meh family and friends.’
Ramwattie Poonai – vendor: ‘Enjoy abieself. Cook sweetmeats, play with abeer and powder in the afternoon and enjoy yuh self with family and friends.’
Ravie Narine – self employed: ‘I don’t really play Phagwah but I gon keep fast, buy a water gun with some abeer and powder for me and the youth and go in the afternoon and play with friends and family and eat some sweetmeats from family and friends.’
Norbert Raphael- self employed: ‘I have no kinda plan; deh in the market and play with people in the market cause after market, the day done. Me a Christian but me na against it, if people come to play I gon play with them.’
S Looknauth – self employed:‘Well me does celebrate from morning with the water and after 12 we does use the powder and abeer. Well the Hindu people does come around and sing and play, after that we does share sweetmeats. I do play with everybody once they accept to play with you,
you play with them.’
Deborah Papannah –student: ‘Me na plan fa play Phagwah but at school I would play with meh friends. The day before Phagwah, we will play at school and have some fun. On Phagwah day I will be home if any of my friends come to play I will play with them.’
Youbanny Marks – student: ‘Meh na get no plans for Phagwah. But in school meh gon play with meh friends them and eat sweetmeats from meh friends them and enjoy meh self good, cause this is meh last year in school.’
Leroy Harry – electrician: ‘“Well I gon play with meh neighbours and friends eat sweetmeats from my friends have a good time. I gon relax lil bit and go in different villages and play Phagwah with everybody.’
Ashmani Persaud- clerk:‘I will be fasting on Phagwah day with a lot of prayer because it’s a celebration of good over evil. Well it’s a joyous occasion to enjoy ourselves. I would be celebrating
with my friends and neighbours and family. For the day I would a lot of cook sweetmeats to share. I will go to mandir for hawan then I will play Phagwah with water and ashes in the morning and powder and perfume in the afternoon and I will be visiting my family in the evening.’
Nalesha Bahadur– university student/ teacher:‘For me I would go by my aunt and spend the day. Where she lives in Glasgow there everyone would come around in vans and Canters with barrels full with water and play with everyone once they agree to play Phagwah. That’s in the morning. Then in the afternoon, people would go from house to house and play with abeer and powder and the people would share sweetmeats to everyone. So I would go and enjoy myself and relax cause I don’t have UG on that day.’
