It’s the ending of the rainy season and the beginning of the
Christmas cheer and season. In the
western world there´s building snowmen and Christmas trees, in Judaism its
Hanukkah, for Hinduism its Diwali (Festival of Lights), in Belize its Kriol
Christmas with the Bram and Brokdown. Despite the cultural differences in
“Christmas” beliefs and traditions the common denominator is the spirit of
love, of caring, of giving. A time when
we rekindle our humanity, strengthen our resolve to change our ways and maybe
even the world. But most undeniably is
the warmth of love at Christmas time. Kriol
Christmas is also about spreading joy and happiness, unity and harmony in the
community. Central to Christmas is family and friends.
Now just like Christmas carols are to Christmas, Brokdown is
to Kriol Christmas – there is no Bram without Brokdown! Bram
is people dancing in the streets from one house to the next spreading the cheer by singing,
dancing and playing music at each house. Traditionally, bramming occurred in Belize City (old
Belize Town) and in the villages along the Belize River Valley; and later as
the country embraced the Christian Christmas traditions & customs, the
traditional Christmas relegated to the countryside. The essenetial ingredient to Bram is the pulsating rhythms from harmonizing a variety
of instruments such as the fork and grater similar to the guira found in
Merengue music, the two-sided Gombay drum reminiscent of the double-headed African dun dun
drum, accordion, mouth organ (harmonica), banjo, the donkey jawbone , the gourd shakka (maracas or rattle) and anything else that
could make good musical sounds and could be heard loud and clear. At every house stop during the Bram a table
is laid out with delightfully home-made cashew and blackberry wines and
traditional Kriol Christmas foods & delights. Bram is celebrated in Gales Point, Belize
between the 24 & 26 December.
So while most present day Belizeans adhere to the European
and North American Christmas traditions of decorating Christmas
trees, hanging
lights outside their homes, exchanging greeting cards and baking fruitcakes,
they also look forward to the traditions they grew up with. The true Belizean Christmas cannot be without
a sip or two of country wines, picking up a fork and grater and singing
traditional "Brokdown" songs like "Good Morning Miss Lady,"
and other favorites from the Ole Time Creole Christmas "Bram"? The
Garifuna Jonkunu on Christmas day, the
Maya Deer Dance or the re-enactment of Mary and Joseph looking for an inn as
part of "Las Posadas" - this is Belizean Christmas time.
Whatever ethnic group we may consider ourselves to be, we all
agree that Christmas is a time for friends and family. Yes, there is a frenzy of baking, searching
for fresh ingredients for holiday meals, and stocking up of rum and running down
the coca-cola trucks circling the neighborhoods to load up on cases of soft
drinks.
This year as we sit back sipping down the cashew, blackberry
homemade wines, lets toast that we take this time to “Brokdown” the barriers to keeping an open
mind, and tolerance and respect for all cultures and traditions. As we dance along to the oldie-but-goodie
tunes of “Good Maning Ms. Lady” or shake our bones to the drumbeat in the Punta
rock, let us take a moment to appreciate our families, love ones, neighors and
give thanks for all that we have. The
Bram is about community and unity and that simplicity that comes from being
positive and accepting and kind to our neighbors, being kind and caring
citizens of our community, family and the world.
It is in these days of such political, environmental and
societal trials and tribulations that we should perhaps remember that Christmas
time is a time to return to our roots and perhaps resurface with stronger
passions to effect change for a better self, community, country and a better
world. Although Christmas celebrations
are defined by dates on the yearly calendar, we should defy the tendency to
forget the Christmas spirit that would help us never forget that kindness,
light, positivity, transparency, respect and tolerance – should be the real
brukdown tune in our heads and hearts throughout the year.
Splash Dive Center would like to wish you all a merry Christmas Holidays may it be filled with joy and may you spend it with family and friends.
