Jamaica’s Christmas season is chock-full of traditions, but the one that many— both young and old— tend to look forward to is Grand Market.

Every December 24 or the market day immediately before Christmas Day, towns and cities in Jamaica come alive as vendors are given special permission to peddle their wares in otherwise unauthorised zones, and a variety of things not sold during the rest of the year can be seen strewn out on tarpaulins, and stalls begging to be bought by passing customers.

The streets are filled with music, and market stalls are overflowed with seasonal provisions like sweet yam and sorrel, and even gungo peas are in abundance. The vibrant scene is only made better by the backdrop of Christmas lights and decorations hanging from and in the windows of stores, advertising special deals and sales.

The history of Grand Market, also known as Christmas Market, dates back to colonial times when slaves were allowed this sliver of freedom to sell surplus produce.

According to The Arts of an Island: The development of the culture and of the folk and creative arts in Jamaica 1494-1962 (Independence) by Ivy Baxter, Sunday market was already established, where slaves went to nearby villages to sell produce, and so Christmas Market developed from this custom.

“Gradually, the festive air increased; buyers and sellers were better dressed on these occasions and articles not considered general commodities were included for sale. Toys, noisemakers, balloons, Christmas decorations made out of bush, fern, croton and brightly coloured seasonal fruits such as tangerines, and red sorrel for making the traditional Christmas drink were sold. The Christmas Market for the town areas came to be a very important occasion,” the book said.

It also described the scene at the then Victoria Market in Kingston where stalls would be decorated more than usual, bands played music and children looked forward to purchasing paper hats, sweets, “feefee” and cakes. It said people were also given boat rides from the Victoria Market around the harbor at a cost of six pence during Grand Market.

There were also Junkanoo parades among the slaves which would have been sponsored by some slave masters.

As the years change, traditions evolve, but the festive feeling of Grand Market, and it being a day of commerce and, for youth, freedom, has not gone away.

Fae Ellington, veteran broadcaster and actress recalls her experience of Grand Market as a little girl in Smithville, a rural community in Clarendon.

“So the days leading up the shops would have additional items that they wouldn’t normally have. But some people, some vendors, would spread out like a nice, big, wide plastic covering on the ground in front of a shop piazza and they would have on it things like balloons, fefe, chibum, firecrackers, Christmas hats, Christmas decorations, all kinds of things. And so we (children) would use our pocket money to buy those things,” Ellington recalled.

“So, on Christmas Eve, everybody would leave their yard, or most people, and end up in the square. And while the children are buying their balloons, and their fefe, and their clappers, and their shibum, and starlight and things, the adults are talking and having a grand time. And they are talking about who going to look for who on Christmas morning, or Christmas morning service, or whatever,” she added.

As she got older, she would go to Grand Market outside of her district and in nearby towns like Frankfield or May Pen, where it seemed like a grander affair.

She added that Grand Market was even bigger in Kingston, when she moved to the parish in 1962. She recalled there being a circus, and the Christmas concerts and carol services that would take place during this time.

According to Ellington, the significance surrounding Grand Market is the communal celebration that seems to bring people together.

“[Grand Market] was a gathering of the community, in many regards, a sharing, and an occasion when the entire community, it didn’t matter what your denomination was, came together. It was just excitement. It was palpable,” she said.

Over the years, Grand Market has become more commercialised, with people focused on purchasing the latest in electronics, appliances, furniture and clothes.

Comparatively, Ellington explained that before, people did not necessarily buy new things during this period, but ensured that the pieces (curtains, bed linen, plates and utensils) set aside for the holiday period were clean.

“For me, it is more materialistic now and you can see the ads that certain companies push on you at this time. Mek me tell you when you deh a country we just make sure say everything is clean, and the glass them, and the plate them take out and wash and put back for when people come,” Ellington said.

“But the buying, the materialism, it kind of gets to me. And what is sad about it, too, is that people are using that period leading up to Christmas to shop and putting themselves in debt,” she added with concern.

Despite the changes, Grand Market remains a cherished part of the Jamaican Christmas tradition, as individuals look forward to the parties, food, music, clothes and merrymaking associated with the day.