Dreaming of Christmas.....in November!

Growing up in the Bahamas, I recall how Christmas seem eons away, especially since the holiday décor did not take center stage until Mid-December when it seemed tourists in town for the celebration on the US Thanksgiving were headed back. 

Back then it seemed as if they left traces of their holiday spirit and revelry on Bay Street that almost in a somewhat domino effect was felt all around. The feeling was mirrored in the flash of the twinkling lights that were strung in front of Maura Lumber Company, in the sweet scent of coconut cake and all manner of confectionery delight that would waft out of Mortimer’s Candy Kitchen. The sounds of the season were just as delightful and could be felt if you passed the many churches practicing hymns and in the hypnotic cacophony of rhythmic beats on every park as the Junakanoo groups practiced in preparation for Boxing Day.

Back then Christmas was about family and friends , church fellowship,coconut cakes and guava duff and of course dancing without abandon at Junakanoo parades on Boxing Day and New Year’s morning. 

This past weekend while shopping my family was treated to a bevy of gingerbread, sugar and snicker doodle cookies along with the opportunity to meet with an in-store Santa.

What may have been intended as a reprieve for parents and little ones alike from the barrage of fitting rooms, shopping carts and the ding of pre-holiday shopping cash registers, served to spark my interest into the question I am sure many of you have asked.

What ever happened to celebrating Christmas after Thanksgiving?

While I enjoy shopping to keep a watchful eye out for a bargain and that ever elusive perfect gift for loved ones, I fear my family may have fallen prey to losing the real meaning of the season. I knew I had to do something to rectify this when a store employee asked my young children if they wanted to meet Santa. While they reluctantly smiled, when asked what they wanted Santa to bring, my eldest shared with full confidence that his gifts came from Amazon and my youngest nodded in agreement much to my Chagrin!

True to form, I spent the remainder of the ride home explaining how Santa in order to provide coverage to children globally needed to have help and that the US Postal Service, FedEx, Amazon, UPS and all other shippers where merely working for him. They both looked with disbelief, but as a mom, I reserve the right to create a story and trust that my children believe it. A tall tale of sorts, but I have learnt over the years that it is essential to change the narrative to serve the greater good. In this case, my children still deserve to enjoy the sweetness of childhood without becoming jaded by corporation’s need to sell even more products and services over a timeline that appears to be shrinking as time passes every year.

Time will tell whether I succeed in my mission when on Christmas eve the sparkle in their eyes has returned when we track Santa’s trail via NORAD’s app. For the coming weeks, I promise to encourage them to enjoy every morsel of this amazing season including all the cranberry sauce and guava jam that they can stand. While I still miss coconut cakes from Mortimer’s Candy Kitchen, I confess that sweet potato pie with pumpkin spice ice cream is now a close second and I have come to secretly enjoy the early morning twinkling of my neighbors Christmas lights that I hope he maintains for the coming 2 months!

While my kids may not understand all of the passion we Bahamians feel about the Junakanoo experience, I plan to also share this amazing cultural dynamic via live-stream over ZNS-Bahamas all while wondering, why pumpkin spice and cranberry season is so short? Are early Black Friday sales now called “Grey Tuesday”? Or why Christmas decorations were in stores since Halloween this year?

As store's advertise holiday sales and extended hours, know that I plan to lead by example as I encourage my family near and far to dance like there is no tomorrow from today on past Boxing Day and well beyond 2017.

I welcome you to join us in celebrating this amazing seasons of family and fun and encourage you to try not to let the bustle of this season "stress you out" as we say in the Bahamas.

This life is too short, to not have fun. And besides before you know it... it will time to shop at the President’s Day White sale, then there are Valentine’s Day cards and candy and Easter shoes.....that reminds me I need to tell my kids that the Easter Bunny also has a global shipping contract - off to change the narrative!

Happy Holidays,