Easter Traditions(Jamaica vs USA)

It’s Easter! Celebrated in many different ways by many different people. Cherished traditions are passed down through generations, focusing on different aspects of the holiday. It’s very strange to me that Good Friday and Easter Monday are not national holidays here in the US like it is in Jamaica and other parts of the world. It’s a normal day for work and school just like any other. That threw me for a loop when  first came here. How could that be?

The root of Easter lies in the celebration and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those of us of faith, this will be the focus of the holiday  however it is celebrated. I will be focusing on a couple Jamaican Easter traditions that I miss and some differences in traditions between how Easter is celebrated in Jamaica and US.

Fish

During my childhood, apart from Christmas, this was one of the most anticipated holidays. It’s usually a time when friends and family get together over the long Easter weekend(from Good Friday straight through to Easter Monday). Starting from Ash Wednesday, in observance of Lent, people would give up something for 40 days until Easter. That was mainly along the lines of meat and such. As a result, fish became a main staple during Easter. Our meals almost always contained fish prepared by either frying, steaming, roasting, whatever. Just know, you’re going to have fish. Living on an island made this easy, but as with the rules of demand and supply, prices skyrocketed during this season.

I haven’t noticed any foods that stand out during Easter since I have been in the US but usually people take time out so share with family and friends, whether it be a picnic, cookout, or just Easter dinner. So that we have in common.

Bun and Cheese

Another staple of Easter time was “bun and cheese”. Not sure how this tradition came about but it’s been around “from I know myself”. I heard some time ago that it has it roots in the British tradition of hot cross buns. For those of you who don’t know what that is, my best description would be that it’s a very sweet loaf(bread), similar in taste to a hot cross bun but with unique Jamaican flair. Molasses and honey added along with other local delights which make it unique. It is usually made like a sandwich which a huge chunk of cheddar cheese in the middle.

It’s such a staple of our culture that people give them as gifts during the season; offices hand them out to their staff and businesses to their clients. Whether its store-bought or home-made, doesn’t matter. Bun and cheese haffi run fi Easter. (Translation: There will always be bun and cheese around for Easter)

 

Good Friday and Easter Sunday Church Service

There  are definitely similarities here between Jamaica and the US. Church was usually standing room only on these days because those folks who don’t make it to church on any other Sunday, for whatever reason, make an effort for Easter. It’s always great to see the turnout and you kinda hope that it will follow through to next week. But that’s not usually the case. But it’s all good! Better special occasions than not at all.  I also remember that people would traditionally wear black on Good Friday and then white on Easter.

Here in America, it’s all about the beautiful pastel shades for Easter. Easter dresses for little girls, beautiful hats and even the boys have carte blanche to dress up in pastel shades, even for that one day. It’s a beauty to watch, just like the spring time flowers that are in full bloom at that time.

Easter Bunny and Egg Hunts

Now, the Easter Bunny and all it’s paraphernalia and traditions were never a feature in Jamaica when I was growing up. However within recent years there are pockets of people who partake. Globalization at its best. In the US, there are stories about the Easter Bunny surprising kids with Easter eggs filled with candy and other treats. This is fun for the kids because it’s like Christmas all over again, except they need to find the gifts themselves. This one took a little getting used to for me because, who wants their kids pumped up with more candy!! (I let my son do the egg hunt then ration the candies lol). But seriously, can someone enlighten me on what rabbits and eggs have to do with Easter? I’m sure it’s rooted in some tradition but no one seems to be able to tell me!!

There is also the tradition of dying eggs during Easter. This one takes me out of my depth so I stay far from it. Not sure what the root of it is, but I am happy to let my son participate with his school friends along with his able teachers who know exactly how it’s done. No shame in my game!

I am still learning and adjusting to new traditions here in America. I live here, so when is Rome… However I try to maintain my own traditions as well, so my son is informed of his roots and the cultures I grew up with that made me who I am today.

Please comment below and share some of your Easter traditions that you grew up with and any that you have acquired along the way. I am sure some of you have fun family traditions that would be interesting to the rest of us.