Olde tyme Christmas in St. John
Yolanda Morton remembers a different era
Maura Curley
Yolanda Morton, a native of Dominica, who has lived in the Virgin Island of St. John since 1973, recalls Christmas pasts with nostalgia. She remembers holidays when she was a young girl in Dominica, and those in St.John's Coral Bay.
She says Santa didn't come down the chimney. He came to St.John on the ferry and in other islands he drove around in a truck.
Morton, now in her fifties, says back then everyone had a pig or chicken at home and food preparations for the winter holidays started in October.
She says "You could smell Christmas in the air because of the smoke poke." This was the process of smoking goat, chicken and pig meat for the Christmas dinner.
Celebratory libations were prepared as much as a year ahead, when the guavaberries were picked and the guavaberry and ginger wine began fermenting with all kinds of herbs and seasoning added as time went by. Then there was the fruit studded black cake soaking in liqueur.
Morton fondly remembers Christmas Eve in St. John when neighbors would go caroling and share a feast of fried fish, souse or roast pork, served with johnnycakes, and corn bread after midnight mass. She says everybody was jolly and all had a story - especially grandmothers and grandfathers.
Morton says women and young girls would dress in their finest, and press their hair with hot combs.
And on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, families and friends would head to the beach for a big community picnic.
St. John today is very differnet. Most of the traditions have died away. Now Morton calls on native St. Johnians to try to keep some of the culture alive.
She does her part by running Tropical Details, a small shop in Raintree Court, adjacent to The Fish Trap, St. John's landmark restaurant in Cruz Bay.
Tropical Details is one of St. John's few shops selling African and island made products like shea butter, mud cloth, chew sticks, native straw and jewelry created from local seeds and shells, hand sewn dolls, hand dyed tropical Batik and carved wood.
You don't just shop at Tropical Details. Morton provides added value information about the history and use of seeds, beads, shells, ointments and much more. She has a wealth of stories and folklore which she's always happy to share.
"We need to keep some of the culture going," she stresses. "Because once it's gone, it's gone!"
Photos: Yoland at Tropical Details in Cruz Bay St. John.
virginvoices.com photo by D.B. Bostdorf
Contact Yolanda at: 340-693-9000.
Maura Curley is publisher of virginvoices.com
Print this Article
Click Here to Add a Comment