Christmas In Jamaica
Jamaican Christmas Cake (recipe below)
Well the Z88.3 plane landed in the Caribbean Island of Jamaica to see how they celebrate Christmas!
Houses are painted, new curtains are hung and broken doors and windows are repaired all in preperation for visiting family and friends this very important holiday in Jamaica.
You’ll hear Christmas some traditional Christmas carols on the radio, and some raggea Christmas carols too.
The Christmas meal is normally prepared on Christmas Eve and it includes traditional Jamaican Christmas goodies like fresh fruits, sorrel which is a green from the garden and chicken or curry goat. But the Christmas breakfast may be even more important. It’s a big meal of fish, breadfruit, fried plantains, boiled bananas and fresh squeezed orange juice.
The grand market celebration is where you can find lots of goodies and where you’ll do you Christmas shopping for toys. While you’re shopping don’t be surprised to see lots of people dancing in costumes and singing with streamers, balloons and blowing horns!
But to the many Christians in Jamaica, Christmas is the high point of the calendar of worship. Christmas day is filled with communion services, candlelight ceremonies, concerts and all night prayer meetings.
It’s also the time of year even poor Jamaican’s give to charity. This is an important part of reflecting God’s love to them, by giving to others even though they have very little themselves.
JAMAICAN CHRISTMAS CAKE
6 ounces or 1.5 cups flour
8 ounces margarine or butter
8 ounces sugar
4 eggs
1 pound raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Half teaspoon mixed spice
Half teaspoon salt
4 ounces mixed peel
4 ounces cherries
Half pound prunes (chopped)
1 cup wine/brandy
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Finely grated rind of 1 lime/lemon
2 tablespoons browning
Cream the butter, sugar, and browning until soft and fluffy. Sieve all the dry ingredients together. Beat the eggs and wine/brandy together and add to the creamed butter and sugar. Add fruits and then fold in the flour mixture, ensuring you do not over beat when mixing. Bake at 350°F for 1.5 hours. Yield: one 9-inch round cake.
Join me each weeknight at 8:30pm through December 21st. We will travel to a new country to see how they celebrate Christmas. Listen online at www.zradio.com
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