Holiday Traditions

Well, I guess the holidays are officially over. Our tree is down, as are the decorations, school and seminary are back in full swing. It was an interesting Christmas season for us and enlightening. There are a few new traditions I learned about this year that were totally foreign to me. I thought I'd share:
In Belize: The time before Christmas is a time to spruce everything up. Houses are cleaned inside and out. Repairs are done and very often the house is painted (also inside and out). Yards are raked and cleaned and cleared of all garbage piles. It is a time of constant activity and all must be done before the big day. It is important to Belizeans that everything is fresh and clean and in order for the Christmas season. Obviously this is a tradition best left in places that don't have spring thaw and mud! A bit of a waste of time in cooler climes when you know you are going to have to start again in May.
Another Belizean tradition we were fortunate to be included in this year is the jankunu. Actually, this is more a Garifuna tradition carried over from the days in Africa. The jankunu may happen at any time during the holidays but likely on Christmas Eve or New Year's Day. For us it came on New Year's Day. I looked out my back window and saw a group of about 15 kids coming across the yard. Some were carrying drums and shakers and the rest were dressed in outlandish costumes. The costumes included paper masks to hide the face, dresses and sticks. All but one of the costumed kids were dressed as ladies in dresses with stuffed bras and butts, carrying walking sticks. One of the costumed kids was dressed in a white shift with a pattern, the ever present mask and carried a very long stick. I asked what was going on and was told (in that 'how stupid are you' voice kids use) that they were here for the jankunu. I must have looked pretty blank because one of the drummers took pity on me and explained that they play and dance for Christmas. I asked if they would dance for me and they very happily set up on my back porch. The musicians played and sang and the mummers began to dance and, in their dance, act out a scene. The white figure sneaks around, hiding behind bushes and crawling on the ground until he is upon the others. Then he begins to hit them and poke them with his stick, eventually killing one of them who falls to the ground in the throws of death. It was all very dramatic and fun. We gathered quite a crowd. Afterwards they 'collected' by passing the hat and then all came in for some water. I asked around later to find out more about the whole thing and got conflicting answers. One lady said the white figure is a cow and it gives lashes. The internet says it is a hold over from the slave days and the white figure is a slave getting revenge on the plantation women. My kids thought it looked like a jaguar hunt. I don't know what the real answer is but it was very enjoyable at any rate. A rather sharp twist on the British tradition of caroling, for sure!