Masquerades, waiting for ‘Father Christmas’, carolling and cooking

Tangah Ramsarran

By David Papannah

If you spend enough time around ‘grown’ folks, more often than not you would have heard them longing for ‘the good old days’, despite the challenges and lack of modern technology, and especially at Christmas.

But why were those days the best? Particularly, the Christmas season? Well, several grown-ups told Stabroek News that ‘back-in-the day’ there was a lot more excitement and happiness and anticipation while preparing for Christmas.

For Eleise Williams, a 58-year-old retired clerk, growing up in the community of New Amsterdam during the festive season the atmosphere was vibrant with expectation. She recalled the sound and colour of the Christmas masquerade, the delicious scent of pepper pot and black cake wafting through the community, the last minute cleaning on Christmas Eve night and the