"Christmas soon come!" Lights are going up around town. Christmas music is playing in the stores. Traffic is horrible, and the shops are crowded with shoppers trying to get their Christmas shopping done. Sound familiar?

"Christmas soon come!" Yes, although the weather is in the 70's to 80's, the Christmas season has come upon Jamaica as well. Many things remind us of life in the USA at Christmastime, and yet others seem to be unique to Jamaica. We haven't learned all the customs yet, but I'd like to share a little of what we've learned of Jamaican Christmas with you.

"Christmas soon come!" December in Jamaica is a time of cleaning up and making things look nice. People clean up the insides and the outsides of their homes, their yards, and often even repaint the curbs white in front of their houses and paint the trunks of their trees white (a yearly custom that some say is to make it look like snow). Many who can afford it put up Christmas lights; the stores are fancily decorated with lights as well. Tree lighting ceremonies happen in various parts of the city; communities gather with music and speeches to commemorate the Christmas season.

"Christmas soon come!" People are busy preparing a variety of foods. Jamaican Christmas cakes, a popular dish prepared and often given as a gift at Christmastime (see back for recipe). It is made with mixed fruits that have been marinated in wine for months. Its taste reminds me a lot of the taste of some fruitcakes. Sorrel is the Christmas drink of choice, made from the blossoms of sorrel sepal (a relative of the Hibiscus family), sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, orange peel, and sometimes a little rum (the recipe varies depending on who makes it). The Christmas day meal often consists of rice and peas (beans), a variety of meat (such as curried goat, roast chicken or duck, ham, roast beef, oxtails, or pork), salads, and lots of vegetables, cakes, etc.

"Christmas soon come!" At St. Andrew's Lutheran church, preparations are going on for the Children's Christmas program, which will take place on December 21st after church. They‚ll be singing lots of songs and re-enacting the Christmas story. The ladies‚ fellowship, men‚s group, and youth will each have their own Christmas party/dinner, so our calendars are looking pretty full this month! We‚ll have worship on Christmas morning, singing lots of Christmas carols to celebrate Jesus‚ birth.

"Christmas soon come!" People here say that the "Christmas breezes" have started, bringing a little coolness to the otherwise rather warm weather we experience here. We ourselves have our own little tree up and a few other decorations in preparation for Christ's coming. Here in Jamaica the surroundings may be different but for us the reason to celebrate always remains the same! May the joy and wonder of the Savior‚s birth leave a twinkle in your eye and a spring to your step as you anticipate that JESUS SOON COME!

Merry Christmas!

In His grace,

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