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Interesting Facts About Jamaican Culture

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family_reunion_december_2008_other_community_peopleInteresting Facts About Jamaican Culture

by Sheree-Anita Shearer | Associate Writer

Jamaican culture is rich and diverse, thanks to the many ethnicities and cultures that have influenced ours. This makes for many unique and interesting facts about Jamaican culture. Here are some now.

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Language

The official language of Jamaica is Standard Jamaican English. Jamaican English follows the spelling and tonal conventions of British English and is the standard taught in schools. However, American English has also influenced Jamaican English through media and business.

Patois is spoken more than English in Jamaica but it is done mainly in social or more relaxed settings as it is not recognised as an official language in Jamaica. Patois is a combination of multiple languages especially English and West African dialects. The Jamaican accent is often likened to the Irish accent which is not far-fetched as the Irish were once indentured workers on the island.

The Maroons originally spoke West African languages such as Koromanti and migrants who began coming to Jamaica as indentured workers, brought their native language with them as well.

For most Jamaicans who are bilingual, their second language is Spanish. However, there is more of an attempt to learn other languages such as Mandarin and French in schools.

Birth

There are many cultural boxes to tick as soon as a mother realises that she is pregnant.

  • For one, it is unlikely that a pregnant person will be at a funeral as it is believed the spirit of the person will haunt the baby.
  • Newborn babies, especially those who were close to the deceased person, should be passed over the casket so the person does not try to play with the child anymore.

  • Babies should not be brought on the road until they have been christened as they are susceptible to evil spirits then.

  • A must-have for every newborn in Jamaica is a red chemise. Some parents even go further and have red socks and bloomers as well. In Jamaica, red is the official colour to ward away evil spirits, so if you feel your baby is threatened, the red chemise is the way to go.

  • A bible opened to the book of Psalms in every room that a newborn sleeps in, especially if the baby is sick. Again this is to ward away evil spirits.

  • A newborn’s umbilical cord is always planted at their familial home or the home of the grandparents if that is a more permanent home. It is done with the understanding that the child will remain connected to their hometown for life as this is where they “were planted”.

    The “Navel String” as we call it must be buried 3 days to a year of the child’s birth and a tree planted over it. If the tree is destroyed, the child should be compensated and if the family relocates a sapling (sucker) from the old tree should be planted in the new home.

    The navel string should be handled with the greatest of care as it is bad luck for it to fall to the floor.

Death

  • Death is also taken very seriously in Jamaica, so much so that it can be months before a burial is had. Loved ones need to come home no matter how far away they are to see their loved ones for the last time. Seeing the body is essential for many persons, and cremations aren’t quite as popular in Jamaica.

  • The real work begins 9 days after the person has passed. The nine-night is had at the person’s residence. Food, drink and music are imperative to this event. It is similar to a wake as it is also a time for family and friends to celebrate the life of the deceased and share condolences with the bereaved, however, the signature difference is the nine nights being had on the ninth night of the person passing and the wake being held the night before the funeral.

  • Some people also have a similar ceremony at the grave site nine days after the burial.

Marriage and Weddings

  • Just as with every culture, weddings in Jamaica are a big deal. There is no special wedding dress and the ceremony typically follows a western Christian wedding ceremony. But there are many particulars about the reception and the food.

  • First off, there is no wedding reception unless curried goat, mannish water and rum are served. The goat is often chosen before the wedding by the bride and groom and butchered by either family member.

  • The wedding cake is made from Traditional Jamaican Fruit Cake, most often had at Christmas. The fruits used to make the cake are soaked for the entire engagement period. At the ceremony, the top layer is given to the officiant, the second layer to the bride and groom for their first anniversary and the other layers are shared among guests.

  • Weddings are usually held on Saturdays in Jamaica, which means the following day is Tun Tanks Sunday. This means the bride, groom and all the guests head to church and then back home to finish the spoils from the wedding day or whole new rounds of cooking and ‘merry-making’ altogether. Those who couldn’t make it to the wedding often come at this time if they can.

I hope you enjoyed these interesting facts about Jamaica. There are many more, that you can read about right here. Also, see how Jamaicans celebrate Christmas.

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References & Sources For Interesting Facts About Jamaican Culture

  1. Clarke, D. (2018) 9 Jamaican pregnancy myths, Jamaicans.com. Available at: https://jamaicans.com/9-jamaican-pregnancy-myths/ (Accessed: December 26, 2022).
  2. Gooding, K. (2017) Science backs up these pregnancy superstitions: Loop Jamaica, Loop News. Loop News. Available at: https://jamaica.loopnews.com/content/science-backs-these-pregnancy-superstitions-2 (Accessed: December 26, 2022).
  3. Jamaican wedding traditions and Superstitions (no date) My-Island-Jamaica.com. Available at: https://www.my-island-jamaica.com/jamaican_wedding.html (Accessed: December 26, 2022).
  4. Roychoudhury, R. (2022) Mind-blowing facts about Jamaican culture and traditions, Kidadl. Kidadl. Available at: https://kidadl.com/facts/mind-blowing-facts-about-jamaican-culture-and-traditions (Accessed: December 26, 2022).

Interesting Facts About Jamaican Culture | Written: December 26, 2022

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