There’s nothing like a Trini Christmas.
From our cuisine, to our music and our penchant for limes, Trinbagonians are definitely spoiled for choice when it comes to knowing how to party.
For many people, the joy of the festive season is also associated with the coming new year and carnival season.
According to archives from the NALIS Library, the first Christmas feast was celebrated in 1569 by six priests of the Observantine order headed by Fr. Miguel Diosdado.
Over the centuries, the customs and traditions surrounding the season developed and the spirit of the ‘Trini Christmas’ we know today was born.
Using some of the Christmas tunes we know and love, let’s take a look at some of the popular holiday traditions here in Trinidad and Tobago.
With our best voice Kenny J, ‘Lewwe go’!
Joy Joy!
Recorded in 1981 by the late Daisy Voisin, the parang queen of Trinidad and Tobago, this song can be classified as a Nacimiento – as it tells of the birth of Jesus Christ, the real reason for the season.
Parang music is an important part of the cultural landscape during Christmas time. According to the National Parang Association of Trinidad and Tobago, there are two theories about the origin of the Trinidad parang.
The first, he says, is that the custom was brought to the island by the Spanish colonists who ruled Trinidad from 1498-1797. It continued to flourish even after the British occupied the island, due to the constant interaction between the people of Trinidad and those of Venezuela.
The second theory argues that the custom was brought from Venezuela in the 19th century by cocoapanyols who came from Oriente, Eastern Venezuela to work on the cocoa plantations in Trinidad.
Fast forward to today, traditional parang is still alive and well and has even hybridized to create another popular genre, parang-soca.
Moving from house to house
Released by General Grant in 2004 on the popular Christmas Riddim, this tune speaks to the importance of lime throughout the holiday season.
We usually find ourselves “moving to the city, straight to the countryside”, to visit the homes of our families and friends.
And of course, most houses ensure that food and drink are readily available, as visitors often show up with little or no notice.
Drinking anything
Social drinking is extremely popular at Christmas time.
When you visit your family or loved ones, expect to see stocks taken out and glasses always filled.
Ponche-de-crème, called the Caribbean sister of eggnog, is a homemade milk liqueur and is a favorite during the holiday season.
Of course, be responsible for your consumption and most importantly – don’t drink and drive.
“Ah, I want to paint the living room…”
While Kenny J’s late 1993 “De Paint Brush” serves a dual purpose, it shows just how seriously Trinis take their cleaning for the holiday season.
“Striping the house” as it’s colloquially called, usually involves the total stripping of our homes, complete with repainting, polishing and shining.
Many people also buy new curtains, bedding, furniture and appliances at this time.
“Get him out”
What’s Christmas without a baked ham? As Marcia Miranda sings in her 1992 holiday hit, this is a food that most families prepare around Christmas time and is often prepared as a sliver to serve to guests.
Food is extremely important in Trinidad and Tobago’s holiday celebrations.
A typical Christmas meal consists of ham, turkey, all other meats including venison, pastas, lasagna, callaloo,
For dessert, a slice of fruit or black cake are popular options.
And the most popular soft drink – sorrel.
Of course, some traditions evolve naturally over time and some people even create new traditions.
We spoke with some of our Loop readers who shared some of the traditions they share with their families:
“Every Christmas Eve we stay up until midnight to open presents, roast turkey breasts and play games.”- Simon
“We skip the fuss of making an elaborate Christmas lunch/dinner and instead have a big but simple brunch and when our bellies are full we just relax for the rest of the day.”- Daniella
“It’s the first Christmas with my wife as husband and wife and we found out by chance that we are expecting at the beginning of this year. So while we usually spend Boxing Day at my dad and stepmom’s house, this year we decided to skip everything and enjoy each other. We look forward to doing our traditions as a family of two, soon to be three.” – Dominic
“We always have a midnight snack (bread and ham) at our centers at 12 o’clock on Christmas morning and watch a Christmas movie.”- Aneesa
“During the pandemic we couldn’t spend time in the ways we wanted to, so our family actually had this idea to come up with a Christmas challenge where we all host a virtual Christmas day. Mom even made us matching pajama pants and we did a Christmas extempo that my mom wrote. It was fun to see everyone’s videos because even though we weren’t able to get together like we usually do, the love was there.” – reindeer
“We spend almost every Christmas at the beach. It saves us the wait because we hate it (lol) and we love the beach all year round, so why not visit at Christmas? This year will be the first without my dad as he passed earlier this year. But I know mom will still appreciate the sequel.”- Richard
“My father grew up very poor and they could only afford balloons as decorations. Now every year we still put up balloons. It’s our little tradition.” – Rawlisa
“My mom and I always make pastels, black cake and ponch-de-creme together. It’s like a little mother-daughter thing that I love. My dad decorates the tree every year horribly and then we fix it lol. But what I love most is that every Christmas we get together and it’s always good food and lots of laughs!” – Reanne
