Tis the Season ... But Do We Need a Reason?

THE petit French children were amazed at how many holidays there are in Trinidad & Tobago.

Fifteen official ones at the current count, with sometimes a "one-off" thrown in, like last year's First People Day, to venerate our Indios ancestors, who were living a flourishing culture long before Columbus and crew floundered across them.

Carnival Monday and Tuesday are holidays unofficially-official, know what I mean.

Les enfants' wonderment had less to do with seeming surplus and far more to do with why there was such a plethora at all. See, our celebrations highlight the most beautiful thing about my nation in my book: its diversity.

Holiday share

A pal related to me the years she spent in France teaching English to children at an ethnically and culturally mixed institute. "I felt at home," she expressed; and her words were no surprise to me, because that is what Trinbago absolutely is -- very ethnically and culturally mixed.

The young ones reacted to her details about our holidays: "They were so surprised. Kept asking, 'Really? They have a holiday, too! The whole country, aussi?' Over and over, almost in disbelief."

Even these children who were in a varied setting could hardly imagine a nation where aspects of their own cultural identity would be deemed worthy of national homage.

Aside from our Independence, Republic, Labour Day, we have all the Easter days and Corpus Christi: Eid -ul-Fitr; Divali; Indian Arrival Day for Indo-descended (like me); Emancipation Day for Afro-descended (like me); Baptist Liberation Day; plus Christmas, Boxing and New Year's Day.

The entire nation gets the holiday, not just the people who belong to that particular status. Better still, more people than not engage in paying tribute by sharing in activities, special foods, donning of distinctive garments. It's what Trinis do!

A child again

And with the exception of our staunchest Jehovah Witness kinfolk, and a small number of others, it seems like EVERYBODY celebrates Christmas -- Catholic, Hindu, Muslim, Baptist, Buddhist, I bet even some self-professed atheist.

I have a pin that says, "Trini Christmas is d' best!" I wake up every Christmas morning, even the many years when I lived on my own and awoke alone with no gifts, feeling just like that joyful, well cared for, eager for my super presents child I was in my parents' home, in our little Caribbean village, Surrey.

Why? I LOVE CHRISTMAS!!!

You know the lyrics, "People you don't know smile and nod hello"?

Well in Trinidad & Tobago, despite all the rough-stuff international press we sometimes spark, people smile like that all year round ... like some others elsewhere only do to "Give Love on Christmas Day."

What does that tell you about my rainbow country?

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