Christmas in the French West Indies

Christmas borrows from the Creole and French traditions of the inhabitants, while the trunks of palm trees are festooned with little white lights. Midnight mass is traditional, and afterwards the famous "Ti-Punch" cedes place of honour to "Shrub." In St. Barts this cocktail is made from white rum, lemon, sugar syrup, and typical island flavourings: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and "carpenter's tea." In Guadeloupe, citrus peels are used to flavour the white rum. The preparations for the holidays begin in October. It is not enough, they say here, just to throw all the ingredients together in a large bottle and let them sit. For the drink to achieve its true greatness, it must macerate for a long period in the sun and be exposed to at least two full moons.

A Whole Hog Christmas
After little sips of rum, a big tureen of pigeon-pea soup is brought to the table, accompanied by some pieces of salt meat which bring along an unmistakable holiday flavour. Then come the pièces de résistance, all made from pork. The hog has been transformed into sausages, pâté and stew. Ham is also part of the holiday meal, and before being cooked has also been given "one for the road!" It gives off an aroma of good aged rum and cane sugar.

Here, as everywhere else, Christmas is a time for children, and an occasion for over-indulgence. Traditionally in St. Barts, one finds tcheks: little cakes made of shredded coconut mixed with brown cane sugar and spiced with ground cinnamon. But the high point of the holidays is "pone," a bread made of sweet potatoes, local pumpkin called giraumon or Turkish bonnet, sugar, vanilla, raisins and cinnamon, then spread with butter and browned in the oven. In Guadeloupe, expect to find on the dessert table a coconut flan, pound cake, candied pomelos, (giant green-skinned grapefruit), and locally-grown fruits.

In Guadeloupe, some families still make for these occasions a red currant syrup which can be eaten on cake, used to flavour a cold drink, etc.