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Old Christmas
Por: Helen Hodgson
Bringing it back to our culture
“Old Christmas” es una fiesta del pueblo
afrodescendiente que se celebra el mismo día
en que el calendario cristiano conmemora la
Epifanía (conocida en otros lugares como día
de Reyes Magos), el 06 de enero.
La festividad desarrollada en Bluefields, se hace
por 2do año consecutivo. Los celebrantes van
de un barrio a otro, vestidos y enmascarados
representando a alguien de la comunidad. Bailan al
son de música garífuna.
“Quiero animar a las autoridades y los líderes de Bluefields, a la
población garífuna vecina y comunidades criollas a crear un
fondo determinado para que esta fiesta popular continue
todos los años, a medida que continuamos el proceso
de rescate, revitalización y revalorización de nuestra
cultura”, dijo Bernard Ramos, líder Garifuna.
Old Christmas is a festivity of the afro descendant people.
This is celebrated the same day that a lot of us know as
Epiphany which is the 6th of January. This celebration
was lost for a few years and now we are trying to
bring it back, so this generation may know more
about our culture and keep it alive for future generations.
This year, which is the second consecutive year of Old Christmas
celebrated in Bluefields, this is celebrated the 6th of January but
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started at 9:00am in
the neighborhood
of Cotton Tree with
approximately 40
people
dressed
with their different
outfits. Some of the
participants were
dressed as pregnant
woman, the old man,
the Obiah man, and
others. During the day
more people joined
in the Old Christmas
celebration.
this year it was done a day before
Epiphany because the 6th of January
fell on a Sunday and many of the people The celebrants went dancing with
are Christians.
their funny homemade animal masks
through the neighborhoods of Cotton
The celebration of Old Christmas is not Tree, Central, Point Inn, Beholden, and
only practiced in Nicaragua but also finishing at Old Bank.“This festivity is
all over the world wherever Garifunas something very dynamic and it is a
and Creoles may be found. This festivity lot different from the “San Jeronimo”
celebrated on Old Christmas Day, is celebration because in our Old Christmas
called “Maskaried or mosco dance” festivity people simply dance, share
in certain villages along the Coast. In jokes and laughter, and have lots of
this event, we always remember the fun. There isn´t any violence as is now
birth of Christ and the celebration is an
opportunity for people to get together
and have some fun. Traditionally this
was done in the communities in the
basin of Pearl Lagoon, especially in
Orinoco.
accustomed during the “San Jerónimo”
celebration. I want to encourage the
authorities and the leaders of Bluefields
and the neighboring Garifuna and Creole
communities to create certain fund so
that this popular festivity can continue
every year as we continue the process
of rescuing, revitalizing, and revaluing
our culture.” Bernard Ramos Garifuna
Leader.
Outfit
Music
In the Maskaried celebration we usually
sing traditional songs accompanied by
drums and the seashell. The genres
that are used are Punta, Maypole and
any afro descendant beat.
One of the songs that are sung the most
is one that translated to English says:
We go to visit your house and you give
me what you want to give me,
if you have nothing to give me , well
I´ll just leave and say bye bye.
“This song is something that we always
do, this is like a tradition to us, because
in our community we always share with
each other. I give you and you give me
and even though you don’t give me
anything I will still give you something”.
Bernard Ramos
“Traditionally we get our self dressed
the way we prefer trying to represent
somebody of our community and to act
like them during the festivity. We would
do our mask with cardboard; also we
use pillows, big dresses, high socks
and all the clothing you can imagine
that our ancestors used. We use our
own music. We also include several
traditional drama pieces such as “our “When people come to visit our culture
traditional medicine”. Bernard Ramos is not only to see, they come because
Garifuna Leader.
they want to learn and see what you
have”. Vanessa Armendaris, Garifuna
Leader
This year the celebration of Old Christmas
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