In 1901, Saint Nicholas made his debut in the Cayman Islands. Many Caymanians worked aboard sea-faring ships that travelled around the world, experiencing foreign traditions. As the fisherman returned home, they brought the Western tradition of Christmas home with them. As the tradition began to catch on, there was still nowhere to get Christmas decorations. As Miss Aarona Kholman recalls “My family used pinecones from casuarina trees to make decorations. The pinecones were covered in an array of different colored foil and hung on the tree as ornaments.” 

Due to the lack of fireplaces found in Caymanian homes, the tradition began with children hanging stockings on the foot of their parents’ beds, finding them stuffed with candy, fruit and trinkets in the morning.

A White Christmas

For many around the world, snow is a symbol of the Christmas season, with some cultures waiting until the first snow fall to begin putting up their decorations. Clearly, we don’t get much snow in Cayman, no matter the time of year. To try and replicate Christmas traditions, locals would gather the whitest sand from beaches and the iron shore coastline in handmade thatch baskets and transport it to their yards where they carefully created little piles that would be spread the night before Christmas. The white sand would bring joy on Christmas eve as it was raked into patterns and designs, with pink conch shells lining the pathways to help express the festive designs in the sand.

Today, it feels like a big Cayman Christmas tradition is visiting the beautiful displays of Christmas lights put up at houses around the island. However, not so long ago, Children would collect pieces of broken tableware and bottles to make “moonshine duppies”, which would stick in the sand and reflect the light of the moon and would serve as Caymans first Christmas lights.

Gift Giving

As the Caymanian men were out at sea for most of the year, spending time together during Christmas was very special. Christmas was more of a time to spend time with family than gift giving. Children did not expect gifts on Christmas morning, as many do today, instead gifts were sparsely given and would serve more of a practical purpose.

Children did not hang stockings as many do now, back then receiving a pair of socks was a special treat to look forward to. Other Traditional gifts found on Christmas morning were oranges and apples

Christmas Feast

Many traditions have changed since the early 1900’s, but one we have held closely is our love for good, local food.

In those days, beef was considered a luxury so families would save up for the festive dinner. Cayman Style Beef arose from the tradition of having local beef served for Christmas Dinner, the highlight of the year. Ground provisions such as yams, plantains and cassava would be the featured sides. Dessert would consist of either a fruit cake soaked in rum, heavy cake or cassava cake.

If you plan on celebrating Christmas with a traditional Caymanian dish, click the link and get Tanya’s Cayman Style Beef Recipe!

The Sounds of Christmas

Back in the day, Caymanians with a passion for singing would take part in what was known as “marching”. Prior to the Christmas holidays, individuals in groups would march from house to house in their district, singing carols and playing instruments such as drums and guitars.

Kitchen band dances would be held in tiny kitchens across the islands, where family & friends would squeeze inside to hear traditional instruments like the fiddle, kitchen grater and maracas being played

From all of us at Foster’s, Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!

Information sourced from Cayman Heritage