SOME things just don’t change: Days of frantic activity and congestion on the busy streets of Georgetown precede a Christmas Eve, when shops are often open until midnight or later; the Christmas tree light-up by Courts’ Main Street branch and at Rahaman’s Park; Fogarty’s Santa Parade; and the Main Big Lime (now the Main Street Christmas Village) are all unrecanting testimony of the enduring and endearing nature of a good old Guyanese Christmas.Then there are the endless ‘Home Alone’ movies on television every year, without fail; and the one set of songs, some probably older than my parents, being played incessantly, all during the Christmas season.

The Guyanese style of Christmas requires big spending, and, to this day, there are some women who “throw box”, just so they could draw their money in time to shop for fancy curtains, linoleum, toys for the children, floral arrangements, and so on at this time of year in Guyana.

The streets recording busiest vehicular and pedestrian traffic in Georgetown at this time of year include Regent, Robb, Water, America and Sheriff, where the popular stores are found, and upon which the most favourite drinking spots and ‘buddy-meet-up places’ are located.

There, the cacophony created by vendors calling out to lure purchasers creates much confusion, and can disorient inattentive or inexperienced shoppers.

Masquerade Bands also make their appearance out of the proverbial woodwork around this time, their members dressed in brilliant colours to depict interesting folk characters such as ‘Bam-Bam Sally’, ‘Mad Cow’, pregnant women, and the stilts-men.

Flutes and drums announce their appearance even before you see them. The masquerade bands sometimes cause serious traffic congestion, and flouncers must receive a tip from vehicle drivers before the latter are allowed to proceed on their journey.

I recently saw one band en route to some location with a stilts-man standing approximately 12 feet tall, and never missing a stride behind his band-mates. It was an interesting sight to see.

Some Guyanese “turn around” the house, cobwebbing; wiping the walls and ceiling; washing windows; sometimes adding a fresh coat of paint here and there; washing carpets and rugs; putting up new curtains; laying fresh linoleum; and sometimes putting up gaudily-coloured tinsel, and decorating the perimeters of their homes and recently-purchased Christmas trees with fairy lights.

Then finally, the day breaks, and there is the smell of fresh paint and new vinyl commingling with the odours of pepperpot, garlic pork, baked chicken, rum punch and black cake.

Every Guyanese home has at least a couple of the following: ‘Ice apple’, grapes, walnuts, Danish cookies, cakes, biscuits, chocolates, ice-cream or candy canes, and an assortment of liquor and/or beverages, purchased or concocted.

A major part of Christmas for many is the Christmas barrel that is received at this time of year. Its bounty may comprise treats such as new clothes, toys for the children, canned goods, chocolates, cosmetics, books and magazines, gadgets, gourmet coffee and tea, and basically anything that can fit inside a barrel.

We don’t have fireplaces in Guyana, thus we have no chimneys; so I doubt many children believe that Santa really comes into their homes to leave them presents under the tree. But they love ‘the jolly old man’ nevertheless, flocking ‘him’ (in plurality) at the stores and malls where he makes his daily appearances.

Christmas is the one day when there is “open house”, and anyone could drop in to partake of the treats, even if it is just a glass of ginger beer and a piece of black cake.

Guyanese know that with food, family, and friends, we keep the “Christ” in Christmas in our homes and our churches, never forgetting the reason for the season. There really is no Christmas quite like a Guyanese Christmas.
Written By Michelle Gonsalves