Holidays are a time to embrace family and friends, while enjoying the best of the festivities. In Jamaica Christmas time is revered as one of the most sacred Holidays on the calendar.
 
One month before Christmas, most Jamaican cooks begin soaking fruits like raisins and plums for the Christmas cakes and pastries they will make before the Holiday Season commences.
 
Life before, during and after the Holidays are generally hectic with Street Dances, Parties and festive dinners.
My life as a child was particularly frenetic because I celebrated Christmas, Jamukah (Jamaican Hanukah) with Granny B and Festival of Lights with Granny Gheeta.
 
Granny B never celebrated Christmas, so when the Holidays came around her grandchildren were sure to get their eight presents for the Season.
 
The Sabbath before the Holiday was celebrated with a spectacular dinner. During these gatherings, Granny B would use the time to reinforce the principles of her religious lifestyle.
 
She reminded us to eat healthily, sometimes affirming that it was better to eat meatkind that did not contain pork or pork derivitives.
 
Granny would say, " I don't eat any pork or scavengers of the sea, they're unclean and the bible tells us to stay away from these foods."
 
Therefore one would never find pork, fish or certain dairy products at Granny B's house.
 
I would often question Granny by saying, "Granny, suppose you ate a piece of ham, what happens?"
 
She would answer "Well, I guess you'll have to fast to cleanse your body from the impurities".
 
At the time I didn't understand what "Fasting" meant so I thought Granny was using Jamaican lingo that meant inquisitive. Sometime people would say, "Stop fasing in people business".
 
So I would continue questioning, "How fasing in people business cleanses your impurities?"
 
Granny would say, "No Ms. Mags. Fasting is when you don't eat for a few days....A religious fast cleanses your body."
 
Spending the Holidays with Granny B was usually filled with singing of religious songs and reading scriptures. When Granny gave the grandchildren gifts to commemorate the season, we were always guaranteed to receive a religious item.
 
After a nice quiet celebration with Granny B and her affirmations of religious beliefs, it was off to Granny Gheeta's for a more festive celebration.
 
When Granny Gheeta celebrated Festival of Lights, the entire house was covered with hundreds of colorful christmas lights. I always felt like a was visiting a metropolis in the middle of the suburbs.
 
Neighbors would joke and say that it was hard to miss Granny Gheeta's house during the Holidays because it was the only house that looked like a space ship preparing to take off.
 
There were usually children running around everywhere, while Granny Gheeta spent her time rustling up sweet treats in the kitchen.
 
I was usually inquisitive to find out what she was making, so I would venture into the kitchen asking,
 "Granny Gheeta what are you making?"
 
She would smile and say, "It's a surprise for you chilren."
 
I became more curious by the minute, "A surprise? Can I help....?"
 
Granny Gheeta was usually a bit reluctant to say yes, because when I got into the kitchen, it usually meant every pot would end up being used.
 
I got a thrill out of making sure the pots were durable, this usually meant they were either tossed around, dropped or they ended up with me making mud pies.
This endeavor was usually my contribution of trying to duplicate a Jamaican Black Cake.
 
Granny Gheeta would often scold, "Magli you making a mess, but Granny is not going to get upset, it is the Holidays and everything has to be cheery, cheery!"
 
Then she would say, "Come here".
 
She would give me a piece of dough to knead with a rolling-pin....I was never sure what her point was, but the task kept me busy.
 
After Granny was done in the kitchen, there was a festive array of delectable sweets and confections.
It was the only time of year that we were allowed to indulge in sweets in large amounts without any intercession of adults.
 
I think that this was my parents least favorite time of year because when I went home I was usually more hyperactive and talkative than usual.
 
Not to mention the fact that Granny Gheeta would give me lessons on wrapping a sari and every piece of bed linen became my experiment for my Indian garb.
 
I guess one could say after visiting with Granny Gheeta for the Holidays, it made life at home splendidly chaotic.
 
This also meant that  I kept the whole house awake until the wee hours in the morning.
 
I would call Granny Gheeta the next day asking her why she always made so many sweets at Christmas time and she would say, "Sweets make you have a sweet holiday, sweet life, and a sweet New Year."
 
I would continue with my inquisition, "Granny Gheeta, you mean to tell me that sweet things make everything nice and sweet?"
 
"Sometimes sweetheart. Remember your nursery rhyme that says," Little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice". Granny want to make sure the grandgirls are nice and sweet and attract good things."
 
I would laugh and tell her, "Granny Gheeta, you are funny."
 
She would quietly say, "Ta-ta, (goodbye) when you grow up, you will see what Granny Gheeta means."
Then she would hang up the phone.
 
I would always remember a nursery song she would sing to me when I was little, "Clap hand, clap hand till Momma come home, Momma bring sweetie for baby alone.......etc."
 
Then it dawned on me, that Granny Gheeta always had an obsession for all her Grandgirls to have "La Dolce Vita".
 
She began brainwashing me when I was a baby.
 
Although I may have forgotten the little things that my grandmothers did to make the holidays special, as an adult I realize the important part they play in my life, when I forget to commemorate these fond memories.
 
All these little rituals do help to make my life sweeter and a lot more interesting. So, thank you Granny B and Granny Gheeta for adding flavor to my life.

Tags: Granny & I discuss a Taboo Subject: Obeah in Jamaica