JAMAICA CHRISTMAS

  Jamaica Christmas Spend  it With Us

Jamaica Christmas is something to experience .It would be nice to spend one of your winter holiday around Christmas time in Jamaica.

From it approaches October into November the hot summer weather puts on a cool caressing feeling as the gentle November wind start

stroking and hugging you giving you a feeling of love and Joy.

This climate affects the temperament of the people and they seem more joyful to be around. The winter season is also the season when more visitors come to the island to escape the biting cold of the European and the North American countries like England, Canada, United States of America, among the many others.

At this time of year the people seem more happy because they know they will be having money to spend a wonderful Christmas as they take this holiday season seriously.

Jamaica Christmas preparation usually start from as early as October when individuals start making preparation for the Jamaica Christmas cake by putting dried fruits such as raisins’ currant and prunes to soak in fruit wines and rum. You see the Christmas black >fruit cake forms part of the festive

People really do take this holiday seriously the houses and fences usually get a new paint over and sidewalks white washed with lime or painted with Berger 303 to look “spick and spank”

A special animals such as a goat or cow is usually selected for this occasion . In years gone by a special chicken or turkey would be selected and put under sanitary living condition
just to make it clean for this occasion but, this is not so anymore as commercialization of meats is now wide spread all over the island. However meat shops had better make sure their stock of meats and poultry is increase to 100% and some locations even more.


A poor person will go without certain food and clothing for the entire year but when it comes to this holiday they will go over board to get the food , drink and new clothing even at the expense of the toys for the children.

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Churches and organizations are not to be left out of the festive seasons. Co-corporate offices give parties and gifts to their workers and they had better do this or else they will not be able to live it down for the following years as workers drops little sync remarks throughout the year. Things are about to be changed as the economic crisis escalate boss can pass off the no Jamaica Christmas party to economic constraints.

Church usually have dinner and treats for the less fortunate but this is now spread to a larger audience as many individuals have voluntarily moved themselves to the less fortunate sect at Christmas time

Church usually have dinner and treats for the less fortunate but this is now spread to a larger audience as many individuals have voluntarily moved themselves to the less fortunate sect at Christmas time.

One of the beauties of Christmas is the Christmas lights as early as November individuals start combing stores to purchase lights and they keep up in vogue and remain cosmopolitan too. The homes may not have much trees but the patios and windows all boast
Christmas lights and decorations. A lot of middle income individuals and the poor change or get furniture at this time of year.

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The may town have a nicely decorated tree and about few days before the day they have the tree lighting ceremony where they had out little gifts and treats.

At this time of year they are round and rounds of parties., unfortunately many do not follow the law “do not drink and Drive “, “if you drink do not drive’ and many do not see the new years because man lose their lives to road accidents. The police try to be vigilant on road user in this season Christmas in Jamaica is a time of Family reunions many family travel from far just to be home for this Jamaica Christmas

JAMAICAN GENUINE FRUITCAKE

The Yummiest Jamaican Fruitcake

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   cake baking tips!

  start a cake decorating business

Jamaican fruitcake
Look at this mouth watering Jamaican dessert, which is usually called the=Jamaican Christmas cake. This island is known for its tradition of exotic foods and the old traditional Jamaican black cake is one of them. Unknown to many, this is a spin-off of the age old English plum pudding.

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In the Caribbean, making rich Jamaica black fruit cake recipe is expensive: raisins and prunes cost more than mangoes and pineapples,but if mangoes and pineapple were used they still would not give that nice rich flavor, neither do they convey that special sense of luxury. The fruit is soaked in rum ,wine, molasses and spice for months, even a year. Many house wives always say to start the fruit when hurricane season end.

It is the dream of every Jamaican woman to be able to make this queen of cakes. Many have tried and have obtained passed down age old generations recipes but some how never really get it quite right since each household has its own secretly guarded secret ingredients and method and never really give them all out. many have come up with samples of Jamaican rum cake and all manner of Jamaican cake recipes
Jamaican cook book!

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Here is your recipe INGREDIENTS :

· 8 ounces or 2 cup flour
· 8 ounces margarine or butter
· 8 ounces sugar
· 8 ounces bread crumb
· 6 eggs
· 4 ounces currants
· 4 ounces raisins
· 4 ounces mixed peel
· 4 ounces cherries
· 4 ounces prunes (chopped)
· 1 cup wine/brandy
· 1/4 cup rum
· 4 teaspoon baking powder
· 1 teaspoon vanilla
· 1 teaspoon cinnamon
· 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice
· 1/4 ounces marmalade
· 4 ounces jam
· 1/4 cup honey
· ¼ cup molasses
· finely grated rind of 1 lime/lemon
- 4 tablespoons browning
METHOD:

1. Chop or blend fruits with wine over night
2. Cream butter, sugar and browning until soft and fluffy
3. Beat eggs into mixture one at a time
4. Sieve all dry ingredients together along with bread crumb
5. Add fruits. Jam , marmalade
6. Add molasses and rum
7. Add flour and fold in. Do no over-beat when mixing.
8. Moisten with brandy
9. If liquid is not enough, add more rum, wine or water to the fruitcake
10. Mix the fruitcake to a pouring consistency
11. The spoon must be able to stand in the mixture
12. Grease tin with a little oil
13. Line tin with greased paper extending two inches above the pan
14. Pour mixture about ¼ inch above the tin
15. Bake at 300 degree F for two to two and a half hours
16. Yield: two 9'x 3' fruit cake


Juliet Christie Murray Tips on baking Cakes This best variation of this cake is made by the creaming method. It is packed with dried fruits soaked in alcohol. It may come as a surprise but only few of the fruits used are from the island such as dried mixed peel which is sometimes made in Jamaica. The others are imported and thus hike the price of the Jamaican fruitcake. such as raisin, currants, prunes, cherries

The best Rich Jamaica fruitrcake has the texture similar to and English plum pudding .The color ranging from dark brown to black and carries a rich alcoholic taste as it is usually laced with Jamaican white rum and red label wine. It is also very spicy as sometimes there are at least 3 spices used.


There may be also different varieties of the real Jamaica fruit cake with various levels of color and alcohol content depending on the preference of the maker. There are so many variations that you could make a cook book with just Jamaican-fruitcake recipes and none would be exactly the same in taste and texture.
There is also one specific ingredient that is very difficult to get out side of Jamaica. If someone in the USA wishes to make this Jamaican Fruitcake s/he would have to send to the island for this ingredient or get it only at the West Indian stores.

In some Latin American countries and Panama they have never heard of it. This is the browning that gives the cake its color. It is a type of caramel that only Grace Kitchens can produce.
One may attempt to make it at home It is a type of burnt sugar. However if one should try to make it in an American home ,pretty soon the fire services would come running because the smoke alarm will go off. Here is a tried and proven recipe for Rich Jamaican fruitcake specialty. It is used for occasion such as wedding and at Christmas time
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  Buy Jamaican fruit cake

Other things to know about Jamaica


History Of Hanover

 Jamaica culture

Jamaica historical sites
  
reggae Music

Special yearly events

Traditional dance

Sandy Bay writers

traditional dance 

The maroons of Jamaica
Festival in Jamaica

Talk Jamaican

Link to us

Sandy Bay Local Stops

 Check out the food
take a video tour of Jamaica 

Real estate sandy Bay

Jamaica Rum Cake

 drape making Course from a Jamaican decorator on line





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THE RIGHT TO WORSHIP

There is a wind blowing in the direction of changing the Religious Liberty concept  as it relates to the work place in Jamaica .

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The right To Worship

As Human beings we all have rights such as the right to life ,property, education,  etc. this includes religious liberty  right. In Jamaica the law of Religious Liberty is entrenched   the Jamaican Constitution. and can be found in the Charter of rights in The Jamaican Constitution.  

The Religious liberty Right

17.-(1) Every person shall have the right to freedom of religion including the freedom to change his religion and the right, either alone or in community with others and both in public and in private, to

18 [No1] manifest and propagate his religion in worship, teaching, practice and observance.

(2) The constitution of a religious body or denomination shall not be altered except with the consent of the governing authority of that body or denomination.

(3) Every religious body or denomination shall have the right to provide religious instruction for persons of that body or denomination in the course of any education provided by that body or denomination whether or not that body or denomination is in receipt of any government subsidy, grant or other form of financial assistance designed to meet, in whole or in part, the cost of such course of education.

(4) No person attending any place of education, except with his own consent (or, if he is a minor, the consent of his parent or guardian) shall be required to receive religious instruction, or to take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance, which relates to a religion or religious body or denomination other than his own.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms (Constitutional Amendment) Act, 2011

 There is a growing concern in Jamaica that the some members of particular religious organizations are being marginalized in the Job as it relates to their day of Worship.

People who worship on Saturday are finding it increasingly difficult to get Jobs because they do not work on Saturday since it is regarded as their Sabbath.

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The entrenched religious liberty law gives individual the right to choose their belief and their day of worship.   The day a person worships should not cause him to be excluded from the job force. Employers should endeavor to work with the employees and  where  possible make such arrangement so that the workers  get the opportunity to have a day free  to worship  how and when  is their choice

Essential Services

There are  services that are regarded as essential services the chief are the ones related to preserving life and property. If one works in these department they cannot take part in  industrial actions and if they do, they are liable  to be put before the court or industrial tribunal  and be charged or sentenced; some of these services are:

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Hospital services

Water

Electricity

Telephone

Police

Arm forces

Security

Fire fighting

 Air traffic

Boarding educational institution

There are religions such as the Seventh Day Adventist faith  who know  that by law the above  are essential services but  would prefer that their members  are asked to work only in the life saving and emergencies  areas such as hospital , institutional boarding, and in some cases security. 

 

 In this light institutions government or  private sector who are able to make arrangement for such workers to work their 40 Hours work week  without major disruption to these services are asked to accommodate the aboue preferences. Those who are able to so but refuse may be putting themselves at the risk of facing some legal repercussions relating to the religious liberty law.

Duty of the Employee

It also rest with the worker to be truthful to the employer when interviewed for the job. Always be willing to accept a compromise  such as working longer hours, coming in earlier or staying late. You may have to do the less desirable shift. You may have to do shift exchange with other workers . As  a marginalized worker if you do get the job your work should be exemplary .You must be honest and  do not steal your employer’s time subtly,  such as spending over the allotted time for lunch, spending unnecessary time  for toiletries and gossiping. You must be the worker whom your employer cannot afford to lose, be very good at what you do.

   Flexi  Week.

 This is a work arrangement where workers are given the opportunity to work forty hours each week at different hours, different days  and different places.

The advantages are:  It does not have to be from Monday  to Friday. It can be so arranged to cover less days , more days, working from home  and all types of creative  40 hours work week  arrangement.

This should be good for the workers who worship on Saturdays since the working schedule could  bypass Saturday.

Some individuals may be able to do two  or three jobs with ease. Financially and economically it has its positives.

The disadvantages are:  It could also work against workers  as some employers can be insensitive and roster them to include the Sabbath their  day of worship.

It has the potential to disrupt family structure and  family arrangement and could impact the social and educational stability of the family therefore impact the nation on a whole

Help for the Marginalized Sabbath Keeper.

The Seventh Day Adventist Church does put in place help for its members. In each church there is a Religious Liberty Coordinator to whom member can voice their concern in relationship to their religious rights. This problem  is then documented . It is then taken up with the employer or may be sent to the local  Conference pastor or president in charge of Religious Liberty Rights and may be sent to Genera conference,or may be taken to the industrial tribunal and may be taken to court . This would entail the use of a lawyer.

Taking Up the Challenge

As Seventh  Adventist  members individuals could change the religious landscape  in Jamaica and help other brothers and sisters who face difficulty within the work place especially when it comes to getting the right to be free to worship on the day  one chooses

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You can make the difference. Send  your concerns. send  your real  experience, send documented  evidence, send facts of being marginalized at least 1000 cases strong  from Jamaica can make the difference

The  challenge must be taken up by  the Seventh Day Adventist lawyers  young or old.Stand Up For Religious Liberty in Jamaica 

Need to get more information of how you can  you can help.

Call: Tel 1 876-  571-7059

Contributing Author

Juliet Christie Murray