THE days are getting colder, school is almost out and the decorations are going up, we all know what season it is! Christmas is right around the corner and TEENage brings to you — in no particular order — a list of Christmas traditions in true Jam-dung style. Which ones are your favourite?

1 Fireworks

The Kingston Waterfront annual light show is always spectacular. The fireworks are amazing, the crowd is energetic and you can always feel the holiday in the air.

2 Pepper Lights

Just look around; they’re everywhere. Tiny, brilliant lights strung up on trees, houses, statues, the family pet. Pepper lights are a true Jamaican tradition and everybody wants their home to be blinging right into the New Year.

3 Jonkunno

Horse-Head, Belly-Woman, Pitchy Patchy, do those names sound familiar? Well, they should. Jonkunno has been in Jamaica since Emancipation and these colourful characters that dance in the street are a great remnant and reminder of our heritage.

4 Christmas Food

You get stuffed at Christmas time and you know it: sorrell, egg-nog, fruit cake, ham, curried goat, mannish water (goat head soup) , potato pudding and candy canes like you wouldn’t believe. Christmas food is delicious down to the last crumb on the plate.

5 Painting

Everybody becomes an artist and the new paint goes everywhere — the house, the roof, on the base of trees and even the stones in the yard! We Jamaicans love to paint at Christmas time and to have the home looking brand new as we go into the New Year.

Look for more traditions next week.

— Monique Copsy