Dear Editor,

IN conversations, Guyanese in the diaspora reminisce about that special Christmas and end-of-year celebrations. The celebration of yesteryear is etched in the minds of Guyanese in the diaspora with a basket of memories – of spectacular fun during the colonial period and of deprivation of basic needs (under an ethnic dictatorship) just a few years after the colony became a nation during the 1970s and after until democracy was restored in 1992.

People were not rich. Homes were festooned with simple decorations except for white managers’ houses on sugar estates. Lights were a luxury for the poor. In fact, most people didn’t have electricity. Outside, trees and neighbourhoods were hardly decorated, although yards and exteriors of homes were prim and proper, neatly and immaculately kept. Because money was tight, very few people exchanged cards. But families received lots of Christmas cards from North America and UK from loved ones. Monetary and material gifts also came from abroad to fund simple celebrations.

Growing up in Guyana, regardless of religious background (I being a Hindu), the season was one of expectancy. During the 1960s (probably even before that) thru the 1990s, there was so little to share but there was so much contentment and so much caring and compassion for others (the poor in particular).

The 1970s and 1980s were difficult years for Guyanese as virtually all imports were banned – including all items associated with the season. The list included flour to make cake and delicious pastries and bread, walnut, raisins, prunes, cherries, citrons, currants, apples, grapes, cajoor or dates, peardrax, cydrax, sweet wine, and items to make special dishes such as split peas (for dhal puri, kitchree, bara, phulourie, sahena, kachourie, pakora, etc.), potatoes (for alou paratha) canned milk (to prepare burfi, gulab jamun, kheer and other items), cheese (for cheese roll) channa, codfish, garlic, onion, spices, corned mutton, sardines, etc.

The list of banned goods was endless. Possession of banned goods carried hefty penalties – confiscation, jail, fine, and bribes. And for females, sexual violence was prevalent in the lockups or sex trade off to evade arrest when caught with banned goods.  A lot of bribes were passed to prevent arrests and confiscation of banned goods that came from neighbouring Suriname and Venezuela. Toilet paper was almost unavailable with people using newsprint that was also scarce. Running water was not available at most homes.

Pipes were dry. Toys were very scarce. Most houses didn’t have electric lights. And even if one had lights, there were daily, almost permanent blackouts. During the 1970s and 1980s, most Guyanese returned to the bygone hand lamp and gas lamp era to light up the nights. And even when one did not have current, one still had to pay electricity bills. Owners of private homes using electric plants were prohibited from selling to communities.

In spite of the unavailability or shortage of basic goods related to the Christmas season, we were satisfied with the little we had. There was team effort to prepare for the season. Adults and children shared in the chores from cleaning up to baking the cake to procuring the meat for the special meals. We were glad to assist with mixing the cake because we got an opportunity to lick the spoon and basin or ‘katchey,’ the enamel bucket. And we got an extra piece of cake for our labour.

Christmas offered the opportunity for renewal within the home. Old curtains were replaced with seasonal curtains. The pickets, house walls and tree trunks would be washed or painted or white washed (with a special lime). Some acquired new furniture. Some people polished and varnished old furniture and the floor. New cushions would be in place along with new spreads on the beds and new pillows to welcome the new season.

There were no name brand sneakers and clothing. In fact, most of us didn’t have footwear. We had cheap US$2 wrist watches, no fancy jeans, caps. Aerated drinks were not affordable for the masses. It was a treat to get a glass of aerated drink. Pepsi and Coke were available for a period of time, but then suddenly became scarce; Icee and Red Spot were popular, backed by lemonade.

Most families served kool aid, pine drink (made from the skin of pineapples), mauby, and ginger beer to go with local cake baked over a fire side; very few people had stoves. For adults imbibing, there was only Banks Beer and Russian Bear rum, some other local brand rum, Diamond Club Whiskey, but no foreign whiskey. Youngsters up until the 1970s were absolutely prohibited from consuming alcohol and smoking. I didn’t taste beer until I was 16 and I found it horrible.

People went out on Christmas Eve for snacks and ice cream and purchasing scarce toys for kids. Carols were very popular with choir singing in front of churches. Christmas songs were also played on the air and the radio stations during the season. On Christmas Eve, we were told to hang up socks and pledged to behave well and take an oath never to curse. On Christmas morning, there was a gift in the socks – a cricket ball or money or some other item.

As children, there was so much fun and joy as we ran around popping toy guns and playing with balloons or cricket.
Christmas time saw masquerade bands in their glory – beautiful dances and extempo live music at dusk into the night on Christmas Eve. They also performed over the next several days. Onlookers cheered the bands and also donated money. They went from home to home and street to street displaying their special dance and music.

On Christmas morning and Boxing Day, there were special treats, sumptuous cuisine – wafting in the air was the delicious smell of curried mutton, duck, chicken, dhal puri, assorted delicacies, cakes and drinks. We had a bellyful at home and by neighbours and relatives. Uninvited visitors also were treated royally.  There was a repeat on New Year’s Day.

Few people had phones in their homes and phones hardly worked. People relied on radio announcements for messages. People looked forward to radio programmes that carried recorded greetings from loved ones in the UK and North America aired on Christmas Day or Boxing Day or New Year’s Day.  Everyone gathered around the radio for these messages to find out if there was a shout out of their names.

What a memorable time we had yesteryear, even amidst the unavailability of basic goods.

Yours sincerely,
Vishnu Bisram