This year the celebration of Christmas has been focused upon by the island government, especially the commissioners, responsible for Culture and Tourism, respectively. Whereas Christmas is a time when we emphasize love and good will among men of all nations, color and creed, it appears that Xmas the American way and Christmas the Saint Martin way are tripping over each other. Saturday afternoon, the lighting of the Xmas tree was introduced by a parade of typical commercial figures, endearing to young people and children. Heading the parade were Sponge Bob, Bob the Builder, etc., followed by a host of young reveling Santa Clauses through the recently beautified Front Street. The actual lighting of the Xmas tree, intended to be the climax of the evening, thereby signaling in the Yuletide, was a low point rather than the anticipated high-light of the event. Judging from the youthful participation and attendance, I daresay, the event was in accord with the high spirits of the youth at the same time, I assume, establishing the festive mood that becomes the Xmas season. The actual social climate of the island invites as valid and relevant instant gratification, profit oriented relationships and the expression of it by buying and selling, rather than sharing of self. Why this critical stance vis-à-vis an event that, arguably, has its merits, considering, that it establishes a certain mood, it whets a certain appetite; it is however, an actuality without the wider perspective of purpose. It appears to me, that authority has the responsibility for guidance, stimulance and coordination towards a goal, an objective. The end product of this responsibility is an awareness and consciousness of that goal, that objective in a way where you, every one of us, will become a productive vehicle. The goal, the objective here is becoming a country and the wider perspective is being within the Kingdom. It behooves us, therefore, to be purposeful in everything we do, strive toward becoming a patriot, a citizen, who is conscious and aware of him/herself. This ‘self’ is Sint Maarten – the country. This self has to reflect the sum total of all who have gone before us here in this island. A country without tradition is, in effect, not a country. A country recognizes itself through its history, a country expresses itself through its culture and this is seasoned and sustained through its education; education, understood in the sense, that it is the vehicle that transfers the viable body of its history and its culture. Obviously, the island population has an idea of self, even though not sufficiently aware and conscious, has expressed the will to be in a circumstance where it could become a ‘country within the Kingdom’. The results of the referendum bear this out. We, who are in authority have been given the responsibility and sometimes it has been grudgingly accepted . It is therefore, incumbent upon us to find ways and means to make it happen; this is an occasion that lends itself as a wonderful vehicle for development of our youths, our citizens, for the conscientization of the whole island.The commissioner of Culture on the other hand, seizes the moment and proposes a “We Christmas Village” - the subtitle , in fact, is a Traditional Saint Martin Christmas - at the newly endorsed national cultural park – the Emilio Wilson Cultural Park. The program proposes the recreation of an oral traditional Christmas celebration by engaging local known artists and others to participate. The vendors and the staging of the village environment by the construction of wooden traditional houses, replete with the necessary utensils will be video taped.
This effort should be lauded and it can be only hoped that this will be a true beginning of conscientizing the populace, especially the younger section. This action may not be solely for the tourists; this program may not be a political ploy for the upcoming election; the establishment of such a context must demand further action in a sustained manner whereby it becomes, in effect, the main policy that guides all other development of a people towards independence. Independence can not be given, nor can it be negotiated. Independence is acted out by independent people. We, of 'the Village', used to be an independent people, because we were able to feed ourselves.
With the introduction of political autonomy in the Netherlands Antilles the people were coerced by its elected representatives into abandoning the consciousness of self (their integrity), their sense of pride, ambition, fairness and honesty; coupled with the entrance of resort hotel complexes, Mullet Bay Beach Resort being the first in line, when hard cash became king. The king is dead (St. Martin’s traditional culture) long live the king (St. Martin’s new way of life, taking place without the people). There is little connection with the celebration of Xmas today and who we are as a people. We will be simply sacrosanct to profess that there should be no change, no growth in the development of a people.
After all, life is not stagnant; life is very dynamic as is culture. It means, though, that change will and must be concentric in order for a productive development. The principle of a people ought not to be detached, like a house without a foundation, in the process of development. A wayward people are those without the recognition of their history and their culture. The political culture of this island has rendered us into a wayward people, a people without consciousness of self and little or no respect for self. If the “We Christmas Village" is purposeful in the sense, we have stated, then there is hope. Hope for a wayward people without significant anchor and a shoddy compass. When, indeed, it intends to stimulate and revive the tradition in St Martin; there’s hope.
Contemplating a traditional Christmas those of us in the Village who know, might envision serenading during the entire Christmas Season, which started from the month of October until Christmas morning. Then, throughout St. Martin, one could see from the roof tops of many a house white with cassava bread, drying in the tropical sun. Pudding –pone – was being prepared a week before Christmas and on the eve of Christmas, the air was filled with the blended aroma of pork being daubed, tart, cake and many other goodies. The intensity of the carolers and serenaders would reach its pitch in the streets, under the windows of the village houses, when they were never, ignored, but got their due share of tart, pudding and liquor, raw rhum, anise punch, spice, Ms Blyden, sorrel and of course, our famous guava–berry.The song that usually invited that kind of sharing and hospitality was the traditional
“Good mornin’, good mornin’…ah, come fo me guava-berry;
good mornin’, good mornin’, wha give me, me guava berry…...”
There was, also, the religious sharing during the Yule-tide with the singing of the much known carols. While ‘Joy to the World” and more recently “Go tell it on the mountain” were quite prominent on the repertoire, the good old “Silent night, Holy night’ was always present.That mood, the atmosphere, that spirit of the secular and the religious, celebrating an event at the ending of the year, as it was adopted and celebrated within the sphere of the village, is one that should not be allowed to die, to be swallowed by a celebration based on the mercantilistic notion of our condition, today. When government intends to stimulate, to go forward taking the lead with this idea, it should be well noted that it is the people of this island continent that will have to make it what it ought to be through its participation in a purposeful policy, through good faith and willing to share and spread the good will and hospitality we are so verbally full of during precisely this time of the year. Apparently, this is not government's intention, though; we notice that the two commissioners are diametrically in opposition to each other with regards to the purpose of the celebration of Christmas. One’s action is for the sake of tourism and to the benefit of the commercial aspect of Xmas and the other is for the revival of the traditional celebration of Christmas.
Neither of them, however, appears to be consonant with the purpose of stimulating, supporting and coordinating a people towards becoming a country; a people conscious and aware of self and autonomous in action. In effect, these actions become suspect; it would appear to be moreso an endeavor to become more visible and politically viable on the eve of Parliament elections. The religious and secular chord that was struck during the celebration of Christmas was the harmony of a tradition of sharing, of loving their neighbor and of the proverbial hospitality by the traditional St. Martiner. This is the soul of the Village and it should be our purpose to find it, revive it and let it be our reference and context of the country within the Kingdom. Peace and good will reigned not only during the Christmas season, but become again, in deed, our way of life.
Merry Christmas and a Peaceful and Purposeful New Year to You All.
The Saint Martin traditional Christmas tree can be found when you click on this link. It is called the "Fisherman Rod".
This effort should be lauded and it can be only hoped that this will be a true beginning of conscientizing the populace, especially the younger section. This action may not be solely for the tourists; this program may not be a political ploy for the upcoming election; the establishment of such a context must demand further action in a sustained manner whereby it becomes, in effect, the main policy that guides all other development of a people towards independence. Independence can not be given, nor can it be negotiated. Independence is acted out by independent people. We, of 'the Village', used to be an independent people, because we were able to feed ourselves.
With the introduction of political autonomy in the Netherlands Antilles the people were coerced by its elected representatives into abandoning the consciousness of self (their integrity), their sense of pride, ambition, fairness and honesty; coupled with the entrance of resort hotel complexes, Mullet Bay Beach Resort being the first in line, when hard cash became king. The king is dead (St. Martin’s traditional culture) long live the king (St. Martin’s new way of life, taking place without the people). There is little connection with the celebration of Xmas today and who we are as a people. We will be simply sacrosanct to profess that there should be no change, no growth in the development of a people.
After all, life is not stagnant; life is very dynamic as is culture. It means, though, that change will and must be concentric in order for a productive development. The principle of a people ought not to be detached, like a house without a foundation, in the process of development. A wayward people are those without the recognition of their history and their culture. The political culture of this island has rendered us into a wayward people, a people without consciousness of self and little or no respect for self. If the “We Christmas Village" is purposeful in the sense, we have stated, then there is hope. Hope for a wayward people without significant anchor and a shoddy compass. When, indeed, it intends to stimulate and revive the tradition in St Martin; there’s hope.
Contemplating a traditional Christmas those of us in the Village who know, might envision serenading during the entire Christmas Season, which started from the month of October until Christmas morning. Then, throughout St. Martin, one could see from the roof tops of many a house white with cassava bread, drying in the tropical sun. Pudding –pone – was being prepared a week before Christmas and on the eve of Christmas, the air was filled with the blended aroma of pork being daubed, tart, cake and many other goodies. The intensity of the carolers and serenaders would reach its pitch in the streets, under the windows of the village houses, when they were never, ignored, but got their due share of tart, pudding and liquor, raw rhum, anise punch, spice, Ms Blyden, sorrel and of course, our famous guava–berry.The song that usually invited that kind of sharing and hospitality was the traditional
“Good mornin’, good mornin’…ah, come fo me guava-berry;
good mornin’, good mornin’, wha give me, me guava berry…...”
There was, also, the religious sharing during the Yule-tide with the singing of the much known carols. While ‘Joy to the World” and more recently “Go tell it on the mountain” were quite prominent on the repertoire, the good old “Silent night, Holy night’ was always present.That mood, the atmosphere, that spirit of the secular and the religious, celebrating an event at the ending of the year, as it was adopted and celebrated within the sphere of the village, is one that should not be allowed to die, to be swallowed by a celebration based on the mercantilistic notion of our condition, today. When government intends to stimulate, to go forward taking the lead with this idea, it should be well noted that it is the people of this island continent that will have to make it what it ought to be through its participation in a purposeful policy, through good faith and willing to share and spread the good will and hospitality we are so verbally full of during precisely this time of the year. Apparently, this is not government's intention, though; we notice that the two commissioners are diametrically in opposition to each other with regards to the purpose of the celebration of Christmas. One’s action is for the sake of tourism and to the benefit of the commercial aspect of Xmas and the other is for the revival of the traditional celebration of Christmas.
Neither of them, however, appears to be consonant with the purpose of stimulating, supporting and coordinating a people towards becoming a country; a people conscious and aware of self and autonomous in action. In effect, these actions become suspect; it would appear to be moreso an endeavor to become more visible and politically viable on the eve of Parliament elections. The religious and secular chord that was struck during the celebration of Christmas was the harmony of a tradition of sharing, of loving their neighbor and of the proverbial hospitality by the traditional St. Martiner. This is the soul of the Village and it should be our purpose to find it, revive it and let it be our reference and context of the country within the Kingdom. Peace and good will reigned not only during the Christmas season, but become again, in deed, our way of life.
Merry Christmas and a Peaceful and Purposeful New Year to You All.
The Saint Martin traditional Christmas tree can be found when you click on this link. It is called the "Fisherman Rod".
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