Cultural Traditions Come to Life
as St. Croix Celebrates Crucian Festival
By Madelyn Miller
You
may be dreaming of a White Christmas. But I am dreaming of Christmas in St.
Croix. During a recent visit I learned much about the culture of this
fascinating island. To say nothing about the beautiful beaches, wonderful
weather and gourmet food.
I came home with lots of crafty treasures, local
botanical beauty products, a fabulous suntan and a few extra pounds from all
the goodies I tasted.
So if you are not going to spend the holidays with
family, go somewhere where everyone treats you like family—St. Croix. Or
better yet, take your whole family with you.
The
51st Annual Crucian Christmas Festival takes place November 29, 2003 to
January 6, 2004. The theme for this year's event, "Glitz, Glamour, Music &
More Celebrating Festival 2003 - 2004," hints at the pageantry, parades,
music and gourmet local delicacies that will be available on the island
during the extraordinary holiday event.
"Seven different cultures have governed St. Croix -
Spanish, Dutch, British, French, Knights of Malta, Danish and American - and
their unique holiday traditions come to life on St. Croix at Christmas
time," according to Commissioner of Tourism Pamela C. Richards "The
holidays are the perfect time to visit St. Croix and fully experience the
beautiful qualities of our culture."
Calypso
and quelbe are the music of choice during the celebrations. The rhythmic
calypso and quelbe holiday music and dance, native to the USVI, emerged from
the fusion of French, West Indian and African traditions. Calypso and quelbe
are an integral part of modern celebrations, incorporating current
instruments like the banjo, ukulele, guitar, keyboard and the alto
saxophone. As a result, traditional Christmas carols like "Silent Night" or
"Deck the Halls" can be heard with a unique rhythmic calypso twist. For the
best calypso talent on St. Croix, visitors should not miss the calypso
eliminations on December 19 and the calypso Monarch finals on January 1.
As the holidays near in the USVI, cooks get to work in
their kitchens. Guests can enjoy a sampling of local foods at the annual
Food Fair on December 30. Food, fun and fellowship are synonymous with this
culinary tour of the United States Virgin Islands' native cuisine. Combining
an ethnically diverse selection of cooking-styles, the holidays provide
cooks the ideal opportunity to create their kitchen's best. Christmas sweet
bread, pasteles, kallaloo, vienna cake, stuffed shellfish, juicy tropical
fruits, fried johnny cake bread, benye (a yeast-based fried banana fritter)
and golden brown saltfish cakes represent just a few of the countless
delicacies available at the Food Fair. In addition to foods, guava berry
liqueur and coquito are two local drinks of choice.
On
December 26, the Festival Village will open in Frederiksted. Beautifully
decorated for the holidays, the village will welcome a host of activities,
carnival rides, local foods for sale and much more. The village serves as
the starting point for the annual J'ouvert procession, which sends revelers
of all ages up the streets, beginning at 4 a.m. on January 1. After Jouvert,
audiences will delight in the annual Children's Parade on January 2.
No festival is complete without a reigning king and
queen. Beautiful gowns and talent competitions will mark the Prince and
Princess Show on December 14 and the Miss St. Croix Pageant on December 21.
If visitors are unable to make it to the pageants, they can enjoy seeing the
royal court during one of the most celebrated events of the festival, the
Three Kings' Day Parade (adult parade) on January 3. The parade attracts
thousands of onlookers as the streets are filled with colorful floats,
pulsating music and mocko jumbie dancers. Festivities will come to an
awe-inspiring conclusion on the traditional Three Kings' Day, January 5.
To learn more about the Crucian Christmas Festival,
call the St. Croix Festival Committee at (340) 719-3379. For additional
information about the United States Virgin Islands, call 800-372-USVI
(8784), visit www.usvitourism.vi or
contact the nearest USVI Department of Tourism regional office in Atlanta,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington, D.C. or Toronto.
GREAT GUIDEBOOKS
Adventure Guide to the Virgin Islands
By Lynne M. Sullivan
Hunter Publishing
www.hunterpublishing.com
DON’T FORGET
1.sunscreen
2. sunhat
3. insect repellent
4. water bottle
5. comfortable shoes
6. personal fan
TM
You
may be dreaming of a White Christmas. But I am dreaming of Christmas in St.
Croix. During a recent visit I learned much about the culture of this
fascinating island. To say nothing about the beautiful beaches, wonderful
weather and gourmet food.
The
51st Annual Crucian Christmas Festival takes place November 29, 2003 to
January 6, 2004. The theme for this year's event, "Glitz, Glamour, Music &
More Celebrating Festival 2003 - 2004," hints at the pageantry, parades,
music and gourmet local delicacies that will be available on the island
during the extraordinary holiday event.
Calypso
and quelbe are the music of choice during the celebrations. The rhythmic
calypso and quelbe holiday music and dance, native to the USVI, emerged from
the fusion of French, West Indian and African traditions. Calypso and quelbe
are an integral part of modern celebrations, incorporating current
instruments like the banjo, ukulele, guitar, keyboard and the alto
saxophone. As a result, traditional Christmas carols like "Silent Night" or
"Deck the Halls" can be heard with a unique rhythmic calypso twist. For the
best calypso talent on St. Croix, visitors should not miss the calypso
eliminations on December 19 and the calypso Monarch finals on January 1. 
As the holidays near in the USVI, cooks get to work in
their kitchens. Guests can enjoy a sampling of local foods at the annual
Food Fair on December 30. Food, fun and fellowship are synonymous with this
culinary tour of the United States Virgin Islands' native cuisine. Combining
an ethnically diverse selection of cooking-styles, the holidays provide
cooks the ideal opportunity to create their kitchen's best. Christmas sweet
bread, pasteles, kallaloo, vienna cake, stuffed shellfish, juicy tropical
fruits, fried johnny cake bread, benye (a yeast-based fried banana fritter)
and golden brown saltfish cakes represent just a few of the countless
delicacies available at the Food Fair. In addition to foods, guava berry
liqueur and coquito are two local drinks of choice.
On
December 26, the Festival Village will open in Frederiksted. Beautifully
decorated for the holidays, the village will welcome a host of activities,
carnival rides, local foods for sale and much more. The village serves as
the starting point for the annual J'ouvert procession, which sends revelers
of all ages up the streets, beginning at 4 a.m. on January 1. After Jouvert,
audiences will delight in the annual Children's Parade on January 2.
To learn more about the Crucian Christmas Festival,
call the St. Croix Festival Committee at (340) 719-3379. For additional
information about the United States Virgin Islands, call 800-372-USVI
(8784), visit