Christmas in T&T: Originally uploaded by Lilandra.
At a seminar a couple weeks ago, there was some light banter about the best smells of Christmas, whether they were from Guyana or St Vincent or T&T. Guyana was all about the pepperpot and the cookup. I think all countries would end up with smells of Black/Great cake and then smell of liquor, but it’s a sentimental issue 
Then I remembered that there are such sentimental associations for Christmas for us in Trinidad & Tobago, even if we are Muslim and don’t celebrate the season. (And this is not to be assumed in Trinidad, where even hijab-wearing Muslims celebrate the season and everyone therefore is surprised and disbelieving when you tell them Christmas Day is not really special for you, other than a public holiday, and you have spent some Christmases painting, or spreading termite-protector on wood planks or sleeping, or you know, nothing…)
Anyway, back to my associations. Despite not celebrating, the season means many things…sorrel! and pastelles! and in the 80s growing up, when we had import restrictions, Christmas time was the only time we got an abundance of apples and grapes and pears. So this picture is Christmas-time in Trinidad. Roadside vegetable and fruit stall in Chaguanas. Next to Courts and on the highway entrance. I only wish people wouldn’t insist on putting those apples and pears and grapes in salads.
Picture taken by Lilandra as we were driving Friday.
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