Jamaican Christmas Traditions, Duppy Stories & Anansi Tales from My Rural Childhood

Nothing compared to the excitement of Christmas in New Hall. We painted the house, slaughtered goats for curried goat and mannish water, and brewed sorrel with rum. My birthday on Christmas Day meant parties lit by Tilley lamps and powered by a loud battery-operated soundsystem playing reggae and ska.

Easter brought bun and cheese marathons and handmade kites soaring over the hills. Independence Day in August meant memorizing Festival Songs that played nonstop on the radio.

Folklore That Still Lives With Me

Evenings were filled with duppy stories from Uncle Clarence and my mother. Tales of rolling calves, fiery pigs, and wooden-leg ghosts made us shiver. Equally powerful were the Anansi stories—the clever spider trickster from African roots who taught us resourcefulness and the consequences of our choices.

These stories weren’t just entertainment—they carried wisdom, heritage, and imagination. These cultural traditions and stories became part of the wisdom I carried with me when I left Jamaica for the United States in 1987.

Life Lesson: Folklore and fables carry morals in one hand, heritage in the other, and in the space between, they quietly unlock a child’s imagination and creativity.

Get your copy of the book—Life Lessons from Two Worlds: My Jamaican-American Journey—read the full story

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