8 Reasons Why Christmas Is My Favourite Holiday

Christmas is my favourite holiday. It’s hot all year round in Jamaica, but this time of year is the coolest as trade winds from up North blow across the Greater Antilles and give us a slight taste of winter. The beautiful scarlet red poinsettias are in full bloom, and all my favourite foods are cooked and sold in abundance. The religious significance of the holiday is not lost on me either. I was raised with a Christian background, and live my life guided by these principles. Thus, it’s important that Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord and saviour. With that said, here are eight reasons why Christmas in Jamaica is my favourite holiday.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle20 Comments

Reggae Month in Jamaica

Are you patriotic? What does being patriotic mean to you?

February around the world is a special time for people of African descent, such as myself. We celebrate the achievements of our race and our rich heritage, while pausing to reflect on the atrocities of chattel slavery which our ancestors endured and which interrupted our history for three centuries. However, in Jamaica, February has much more special meaning.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle38 Comments

10 More Interesting Jamaican Place Names

A few weeks ago I posted an article entitled ‘Interesting Jamaican Place Names.’ So many funny Jamaican place names didn’t make the cut, so I had to write a sequel. Jamaican place names are influenced by its previous Spanish and British colonizers, as well as other groups of people who have inhabited the island at various points in history. Therefore, it’s not odd that Jamaica has its own Madras and Bengal, having received indentured servants from India after slavery was abolished in 1838. Other places are inspired by the land such as Cedar Valley due to the cedar trees, Annotto Bay because annatto trees were planted there, and Bath in St. Thomas because it has a mineral bath. However, we aren’t here to discuss those basic place names. Today we discuss ten more funny and interesting Jamaican place names which I’m sure you won’t hear anywhere else across the world.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle16 Comments

4 Haunted Places to Experience Jamaican Folklore

Every country has its fair share of legends and haunted stories, and Jamaica is no different. Jamaican history and culture is steeped in legends dating back to its pre-Colombian ancestors. Plantation society and the imported beliefs and practices of the enslaved Africans added another dimension to Jamaica’s supernatural. Jamaica does not celebrate Halloween, however the island has adopted some of its celebrations in recent years due to popular culture and globalization. Jamaicans need little excuse to party, but if we’re being honest– Jamaica has its own fair share of paranormal activity and characters. In this article, I’ll delve into Jamaica’s spooky folklore creatures and four haunted places in Jamaica where one can visit and have a paranormal experience– if you dare.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle28 Comments

10 Interesting Jamaican Place Names

Jamaicans are very matter-of-fact when naming towns and communities. If the community is on the side of a hill, it may be called Hillside such as in St. Thomas– the community with the beautiful Reggae Falls. There are several districts across Jamaica named Lookout, all providing panoramic views of the valleys below. Cooperage is so-called because it was the workshop of coopers in the 1800s, and these Irish coopers lived further up the road in– you guessed it– Irish Town. Many of the towns and rivers in Jamaica bear Spanish names because the Spanish were the first Europeans to colonize Jamaica: Ocho Rios, Port Maria, Port Antonio, Rio Grande and Santa Cruz, to name a few. Other towns got their names from British people and places such as Mandeville, Roxborough, Blenheim, Warsop, Devon and Maidstone. However, some Jamaican place names are much more interesting. Here are ten funny and interesting Jamaican place names which I’m sure you won’t hear anywhere else across the world. Check out part 2 here.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle27 Comments

Why Do Jamaicans Run So Fast?

Athletics is Jamaica’s favourite sport. Our love for athletics is inculcated from the primary school championship level to watching international meets on TV while banging pot covers to support, to watching the races at the corner shop bar or even in the middle of Half-Way-Tree. You can’t not love athletics as a Jamaican. Track and field is an immeasurable source of national pride at every major meet and we have produced the world’s fastest man and woman alive. For that reason, people often wonder why do Jamaicans run so fast. Ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Championships, here are five secrets behind Jamaica’s global excellence in athletics.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle31 Comments

8 Easter Traditions in Jamaica You Should Know

Easter is here! Easter is a Christian holiday and over 60% of Jamaicans identify as practicing Christians. As a result, Good Friday is a solemn national holiday in Jamaica where all businesses are closed. Good Friday commemorates Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and devout Christians observe the day by fasting, re-enacting Christ’s last hours and attending church. On the other hand, Easter Sunday is a joyous day commemorating Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the grave. The day after Christ’s resurrection, Easter Monday, is a national holiday in Jamaica as well. Jamaicans eagerly look forward to this four-day Easter weekend each year, and there has been an increase in secular Easter weekend events too. That being said, here are eight ways in which Jamaicans celebrate Easter holidays– past and present.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle28 Comments

Discover Christmas in Jamaica: Food, Traditions & Celebrations

“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” Hopefully you sang that line. I absolutely adore Christmas: the carols, the food, the festive cheer and the religious significance. Without the birth of Christ, there would be no Christianity. Of course, no one knows exactly when on the Gregorian calendar Christ was born, and the date chosen to commemorate His birth may have been to replace a pagan winter solstice feast centuries ago when Rome was trying to Christianize its populace, but nonetheless, the date has taken on a very special meaning for most Christians across the world. How Christmas is celebrated varies from country to country. A few posts ago I’d shared what several bloggers across the world had to say about their favourite part of the holidays here; now I’m sharing what’s unique to Christmas in Jamaica and my favourite parts about how we celebrate the holidays.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle37 Comments

Why Jamaica is the Ultimate Destination for Chocolate Lovers

When you think of luxury chocolate, think Jamaica! Jamaica is a tiny dot on the map yet most people around the world have heard of this country. This may be due to our reggae and dancehall music, athletic prowess, infectious culture and accent, our food, rum and Blue Mountain coffee. However, a lesser known fact is that Jamaica produces some of the world’s best chocolate bars! Jamaica is one of 17 countries recognized as producers of fine or flavoured cocoa by the International Cocoa Organization, and only one of 8 countries to do so exclusively. The flavours of fine cocoa beans range from fruity and floral to herbal, woody, nut and caramel notes. Cocoa trees yield approximately 20-30 pods per year, with each of the pods containing only 30-40 beans. It takes 400 beans to make one pound of chocolate, which explains why Jamaican chocolate bars may fetch high prices comparatively.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle18 Comments

Celebrate Christmas with Jamaican Reggae Tunes

Today I’m taking you on a reggae Christmas musical journey with 12 Jamaican Christmas songs. Jamaica’s predominant religion is Christianity so we play a lot of traditional Christian carols in our homes and we sing them in our churches at Christmas. American Christmas classics make it on our airwaves too and a lot of us can sing these songs word for word, BUT it’s not really Christmas in Jamaica until the reggae Christmas tunes start playing. It’s a bit ironic that even devout Rastafarians have thrown their hat in the ring at remixing Christmas classics and putting a Jamaican spin on it, but regardless, these are a mixture of reggae Christmas classics which have made their way into our hearts and homes, and a few others which.. well, you’ll just have to see.

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Rochelle | Adventuresfromelle20 Comments