Is It Important To Keep Traditions Alive?

Christmas is nostalgic. We sit around and reminisce about “back in the day”. The traditional spread comes out. Everyone brings their best dish to the table. Yummy tummies all around! These traditional culinary creations are an important part of who we are.

The village my dad grew up in had a sweet little lady who made the best traditional Jamaican chocolate you could ever smell or taste. The rich smell permeated the air when she puts her special blend in the mortar. Everybody lined up for a cup of chocolate tea with coconut oil on top. Once your nose picked up that sweet smelling aroma, your taste buds had an automatic response (drooling) – I am not exaggerating. Making this chocolate was her pride and joy. Everyone in the village knew about her chocolate tea (yes, this is how we refer to it in Jamaica). I didn’t get to visit often, but if Rona V. did not go to the chocolate, then the chocolate would come to Rona V. (specially packaged and hand delivered). Chocolate tea on Christmas morning (courtesy of Paps) is a tradition in my family. One day I got the sad news that the sweet old lady, who continued her chocolate making tradition long into her old age, had passed.

I asked the question, “Who will take up the tradition?” The heartbreaking response, “No one.” This rich Jamaican legacy was not passed on.

The Bahamas is near and dear to my heart. My foster mom (long story) was the best cook. There was something in her fingers. Any traditional Bahamian dish she cooked, I ate. From Guava Duff to Conch Salad and everything in between, this woman could cook eh! I am writing this post and tasting her food. Some years after our lives had crossed, my dear foster mom passed away. Guess what, she took all her great recipes and “how to” with her. The traditions were not passed on.

Is the picture in your circle the same? We must do something about it!

Mums has a traditional Christmas cake recipe that she throws in a little of this, a dash of that and just a “tups” of something else. I’m sure you know someone like that. Every year she experiments with an ingredient. I wonder what she will change this year. I better get in the kitchen with her and take copious notes! 😉

These stories are important. Why? It may seem simple, but it feels as though part of who I am (who we are), my (our) make up, is dying.

Let me leave you with this …

On December 1, 2020 I received a WhatsApp message from a friend – Hanover House Rum Cream Liqueur (Order Today). In the body of the message she writes, “This is mummy’s rum cream”. This business was borne out of a 50-year old family Christmas tradition that was passed from mother to daughter. Go read the story over at hanoverhouseja.com.

This is a great example of tradition done right! (Hint, hint) A fellow 40-Forwarder has kept her DREAM ALIVE in the middle of a pandemic!  Throw some support behind a member of the B.L.E.S.S. clan. Celebrate with her by sowing into her dream (her legacy)!

My fellow 40-Forwarders, we are living in a time where traditions are seen as “old fashioned”. If we are not careful there is a generation that will not know, understand or appreciate weh wi deh cum fram (Translated: Where we are coming from). Our culinary creations are part and parcel of our legacy. We cannot afford for them to be something we read about in books and never experienced.

Let not our good (yummy) traditions die. Be deliberate about keeping them alive.

In this season we are locked in. Get in the kitchen with the youngins and “pass it on”.

What are some of your family “traditional” culinary favourites? Drop them in the Comments and let’s see if others are familiar with your faves!