WITH just three more days to Christmas, the capital city Georgetown was abuzz as many scurried through crowds to complete their last-minute shopping. The Guyana Chronicle on Monday caught up with a few Christmas enthusiasts as they purchased their goodies for the festive season.

One shopper, Shelly Thomas, who was accompanied by her young granddaughter, shared that she was just ‘passing through’ the city to pick a few last-minute items.

The woman noted that her Christmas plans are already set in stone and she will be spending the day with friends and family at church.
Thomas also disclosed that she will be preparing a grand lunch on Christmas Day and will be dining with her close relatives.

Meanwhile, the Guyana Chronicle also caught up with an excited Sonia Lewis, who at that time was searching through a bouquet of floral arrangements at a local shop.

Lewis gushed, “All my Christmas cleaning done and I done fix up my tree. You know the usual thing.”

When asked about her plans for Christmas Day, Lewis said she will be preparing her infamous vegetarian pepperpot with lots of spices and chunks as a substitute for the traditional beef and ‘cow face’ that are usually in the delicacy.

Among all the hustle and bustle of persons bumping into each other or stepping on someone else’s shoes, a vendor, Donna Thomas, could be seen calling out to passersby and shoppers to take a quick look at the items she was selling.

However, Thomas indicated that while it may appear that the city is busy and many persons are shopping, several store owners and vendors are expecting sales to “pick up” later in the week as the festivities draw closer. Currently, shoppers are mainly scouting the prices of items they may wish to purchase at a later time.

WHAT IS A GUYANESE CHRISTMAS WITHOUT ‘PEPPERPOT AND BLACK CAKE’?
Shopping for household and gift items was not the only fulfilling things shoppers were looking for, since a main aspect of the festive season is a table filled with all types and kinds of tantalising Guyanese delicacies.

As such, local cassareep vendor Augustus Trotman could be heard sounding, “Come and get your cassareep here, cassareep here” along the pavements of Regent Street.

Trotman disclosed that he sources his cassareep all the way from the Pomeroon region and posited that has the best to add the right kick and flare to the traditional pepperpot that is served on Christmas morning in almost every Guyanese household.

Trotman noted that a Guyanese home would not be “Christmassy” without the smell of pepperpot or black cake emanating from the kitchen. As such, he too will be cooking up a storm in his kitchen and celebrating.

“I done start my Christmas celebration already, you know I does come out here and sell and catch a little dollar,” he said.