Christmas in Bahamas is a great carnival time with various secular activities and festivals occurring in this time. However Bahamian Christmas activities include gift giving, feasting, Christmas cards, Christmas music, Christmas masquerade and others.
People present gifts and exchange greetings during Christmas time. Children are offered toys and candy canes by Santa. Families prepare food, cakes and other goodies for families and loved ones. In Christmastime the house gets a thorough going over. It is cleaned carefully. New curtains are hung up. Furniture are varnished and covered with embroidered cloth in the day of Christmas. A Christmas tree is the center of attraction in most houses. It is decorated with twinkling lights, tree top angels, icicles and other ornaments.
Food has always been a central feature of Christmas in Bahamas. Some traditional Bahamian Christmas items are black cake, ginger beer, imported apples, imported grapes, garlic pork, pepper pot, pickled onions and ham. Christmas drinks included ginger beer, sorrel, mauby, sweet potato fly (a fly is a fermented drink), other kinds of fly, falernum, shandy, rum and wines. About a week before Christmas Day carolers go out in the evening singing carols in public places. One of favorite Christmas carols Christians Awake, Salute the Happy Morn still rings in the ear.
Christmas in Bahamas would not be complete without Junkanoo parades. The participants wear colorful dresses and dance to the rhythmic accompaniment of cowbells, drums and whistles. Among the Junkanoo troupes are the Saxons, Valley Boys and Roots. The most spectacular Junkanoo parade occurs in Nassau. It can also be experienced on Grand Bahama, Eleuthera, Bimini and Abaco.
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