MANY Jamaican students studying in far-off China are spending their first or second Christmas away from the island, and find that even where there are signs of Christmas, there’s still no place like home.

“No ‘Jingle Bells’. No ‘O Holy Night’ will be heard this Christmas! No rushing out to buy gifts, no waiting up till midnight at church to welcome the day of cheer and thanksgiving and definitely no decking the halls or Christmas tree,” says Kerry-Anne Smith (babygirlja2002@hotmail.com).

Kerry-Anne, who is attending the Xiamen University, said “…if Santa Claus was real he’d miss my humble abode as there’s nothing ‘Christmasy’ to lure him in the first place. That’s what Christmas is like here in Xiamen, China. Can you imagine no Christmas cake complete with raisins and currants soaked in a ‘tups’ ah Red Label Wine?”

Kerry-Anne, who is from Eltham View near Spanish Town, St Catherine, and a graduate of the Northern Caribbean University (NCU), is pursuing a Masters Degree in International Relations.

“As a Jamaican student here in the land of plenty, talking about population now, Christmas is not generally observed as how we Westerners would view it. It’s just like any old day, with hustling and bustling being the norm but no one really in the Christmas spirit, unless you are a foreigner.

“Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not all doom and gloom and of course merchants wouldn’t dare miss an opportunity as wonderful as this, so here and there you’ll see Christmas decorations on sale and hear an occasional ‘ho ho ho’ from miniature Santas. There are even pepper lights winking from their places high on roof tops and through show cases but I get the feeling that it’s done to entice rather than perpetuate merriment,” she told the Observer.

“In some areas, like Beijing and Shanghai the capital and main economic zone of China, there are many celebrations but here in Xiamen there isn’t much fanfare! And being the only Jamaican in my locale doesn’t help the situation.

“The university that I attend tries to make us foreigners feel at home as much as possible, for example we are generally allowed the day off from lectures and are treated to a Christmas concert, but truth be told, there is no place like home.

“With no family and no close friends around, one has plenty of time to think especially during this period and I have learn’t two major things – take nothing for granted and never forget that Christmas is all about Christ, who is love! So this Christmas season and onwards I’ll be expressing love to all I encounter, or at least I’ll try my best.

“I’ll be helping with a concert that will allow persons to understand more about Christmas as well as provide a medium for foreigners and Chinese to fellowship. Christmas Eve will see me sharing words of encouragement to a group of young people and on Christmas morning I should be spending some quality time with the God of love!”

Yanique Lawrence (yanique_alexia@yahoo.co.uk) said one of the first things she noticed in China shortly after moving there was “how few Christians there were and therefore how few churches (or maybe it is the other way around)”.

“So when Christmas arrived I was surprised to see the erecting of Christmas trees (artificial ones) at major shopping malls and hotels. It felt so strange to see all the paraphernalia of the season but with little if any religious significance attached,” she observed.

Yanique’s explanation: “Due to having been colonised by countries with Christian traditions, Hong Kong and Macau do observe Christmas day as a public holiday but mainland China and Taiwan do not. However, in recent years more and more Chinese have begun to take part in some aspects of the holiday but predominantly on a commercial level rather than a religious one.

“There are Christmas parties, special foods, the exchanging of gifts and children eagerly awaiting gifts from Dun che lao ren, which literally means “Christmas old man”, the Chinese Santa Claus.

“It’s that time of the year again and in stores I hear Christmas songs, even in Chinese, and see Christmas trees erected at shopping centres and hotels and decorations and displays in various places. But the season is mostly observed in larger cities, as many people living in rural areas probably know very little about it. My Chinese friends tell me that just a few years ago there were barely any signs of Christmas at all. However, as the world becomes more of a global village cultures are converging.

“Right now I am reminiscing about sorrel, fruitcake and warm Jamaican sunshine and look forward to the one night when I am transported back home through the Caribbean Association in China’s annual Christmas party, complete with Caribbean food, music and people.”

Taurean Allen (taurallen@gmail.com), a graduate of the University of Technology and who is pursuing a Masters degree in financial engineering, said this was his first Christmas in Beijing, China and it would be different from what he was accustomed to at home.

“Christmas for me was spent with close family and friends, as we would take turns each year getting together at my family residence in Kingston or in Portland at my uncle’s home. The festivities include scrumptious meals, Carols, a small ceremony about the true meaning of Christmas and the much-awaited gift exchange. What else could we have asked for?”

Taurean noted that in China, it was a different style of celebration. “Firstly, it must be said China does not celebrate Christmas, I repeat China does not celebrate Christmas. How disappointed I was when I first learnt of this travesty. But not to worry not because the fact that China doesn’t celebrate it, doesn’t mean we won’t be able to.”

“There are hundreds of foreigners studying in ‘the Jing’, as Beijing is affectionately called, as there are all over China, with each person bringing different dynamics of how they celebrate this widely known holiday season,” Taurean said.

“In Beijing at this time of the year we have to be covered from head to toe and worse, me a yardy look like ‘Christmas ham’. There are many Caribbean representatives in Beijing, and each year they plan a Christmas get together. This includes a large dinner and a variety of activities gear towards remembering the true meaning of Christmas, the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

“Shengdan Kauile (Merry Christmas) to all my family, friends and fellow Jamaicans. May God continue to bless each and every one of you.”

Kevin Thomas (alexkt21@msn.com) who hails from Junction, St Elizabeth has been teaching English in local and international schools in China. He said he had decided to increase his Chinese studies, and so would not be home for Christmas.

“Christmas in China can be interesting if you have friends who truly appreciate its meaning and you can plan activities together; otherwise, you will be one lonely person caught in the frenzy of a terribly commercialised occasion, especially here in Shanghai.

“Thanks to the Caribbean Association of China we were able to start off the season in a memorable way: dancing together, eating food seasoned with Caribbean spices, and of course the highlight of the party was drinking Rum Punch, but the SORREL was missing. Nevertheless, it was a great way to kick off our Christmas season in a place that’s so far away from home,” said Kevin.

“All in all, I must say the highlight of my Christmas here in Shanghai will have been the awesome opportunity of introducing my friends of varying nationalities to a taste of what Christmas is like in Jamaica through our Christmas party. They had a fantastic time eating finger-licking foods and, of course, trying a few Reggae/Calypso moves.

“They haven’t yet finished thanking me for giving them this unforgettable chance while at the same time asking me when can I take them to Jamaica — a place that is very much like a dream in the minds of many here in Asia.”

Kevin plans to attend midnight mass on Christmas Eve with Susan, who is Australian, and Kristi, who is Finnish, both of whom will accompany him to spend Christmas Day with an American friend, Jesse, and his Greek wife, Gisselle who are expecting their first child on Boxing day.

“Jesse and Gisselle’s parents will be here from the United States and Greece for the birth of the baby so we will all be having a wonderful Christmas evening together, along with a Brazilian family.We will be enjoying a Christmas dinner with international flavours. My contribution to the dinner will be to complement our meal with the best coffee in the world, Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee — such a pity I don’t have a ‘lickle’ Sorrel. Ah bwoy!”

“To you all my Jamaican brothers and sisters I will be thinking about you a lot as we celebrate the holidays on this side of the world. Have a safe and blessed Christmas and all the best for the New Year. An’ don’t drink off all di sorrel.”