Jamaica is primarily a Christian country so the observance of Christmas is traditionally expected to be a time for religious reflection, with the focus being on the Christ child and those rituals that pay homage to the newborn King.

However, over these many years, many Jamaicans have moved away from focusing on the ‘Christ’ in Christmas. Instead, the holiday season has taken on all the appurtenances of a pagan festival, with emphasis on commercial and hedonistic activities. As many Jamaicans are wont to say, “Chrismus comes but once a year, nyaga people call it holiday!” So, in real terms, in this so-called tropical paradise, there is “Christmas”, but there is also “Chrismus”.

Regrettably, for many devout Christians, especially in western Jamaica that was hard hit by Hurricane Melissa, it will be very difficult to celebrate as so many of the region’s churches have been cruelly devastated by that monstrous tycoon, leaving many places of worship roofless and their insides ruined. Indeed, it is as if marauding Melissa took deliberate aim at the Lord’s houses, so much so that some sceptics have been joyously declaring that the Good Lord was sending a message to the churches and their congregations that have gone astray. But, seriously, why would God want to destroy his sanctuary?

One very painful aspect to this sad scenario is that many of these churches were historic buildings, a very treasured part of our cultural heritage. The obliteration of our rich religious architectural history is something that has not yet been fully examined and talked about by the powers that be. Indeed, one waits with bated breath to hear from Culture Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange, who is an influential executive member of UNESCO. She should explore the possibility of that esteemed body coming to Jamaica’s rescue, in terms preservation, and declaring some of these structures heritage sites so that they can attract international funding with respect to their restoration.

It has been said repeatedly and with much conviction that Jamaica has the most churches per square mile in the world. What is also irrefutably true is that this country has the most “rum bars” per square mile in the world! So here we have the classic case of the (Holy) Spirit versus the (unholy) spirits.

This writer recalls an incident many years ago in Kingston at a certain church where Christmas Mass was being observed. Next door was a bar that had remained opened all night, as it was Christmas Eve. During Holy Communion a “rum head” emerged from the watering hole, entered the church, and joined the line of worshippers who were heading towards the priest who held a huge chalice from which each communicant would take a sip. In those days the wine would have had some amount of alcohol, so when this inebriated man was being served by the priest he grabbed the chalice and gulped down its entire contents, which he followed with a loud belch as he staggered away muttering, “Merry Chrismus, Father.”

In this vein, it is regrettable that for many revelling Jamaicans the consumption of hard liquor is one of the major ‘Chrismus’ pastimes, so much so that while many people avoid the spirits during the year, the spirit of Christ must make way for the these ‘spirits’ during the holiday. From sorrel drinks and ‘Chrismus’ cakes laced, usually, with white rum to all the other exotic concoctions, everybody must get ‘irie’. Tragically, one of the downsides of this ‘mus’-do activity is the possibility of motor vehicle crashes, some of which are fatal, despite the many pleas of “If you drink, don’t drive.”

Another ‘mus’ for many Jamaicans is that they must get gifts even if they do not give any. “Wha happen, boss, wha you a give mi fi mi Chrismus?” is a frequently asked question as one traverses the streets, shops, supermarkets, and even the churches. This element of greed oftentimes pervades the Christmas season as there is the insistence of entitlement even if the potential benefactor or employer is hard-pressed to be overly generous, especially at this time in western Jamaica where many businesses and individuals have been hard hit or displaced. As one persistent beggar opined, “Anywhere you can find it, find it, cause mi know say you mus have it.” So much for the ‘mus’(t) in ‘Chrismus’.

In the final analysis, it should not be the case that all the ‘mus’(t)s have overridden the true meaning of Christmas. After Christmas 2025 will have come and gone, Jamaicans are likely to face some harsh socio-economic and psychological realities as a result of Hurricane Melissa’s onslaught. One should hope, therefore, that many citizens would act responsibly, in terms of how they expend their resources, by not throwing caution to the wind.

Within another six months, yet another hurricane season will loom his or her ugly head. We must adopt the Scout’s motto to be prepared from now and not just hope for the best. There are many hard lessons to be learnt from this year’s hurricane season, so Jamaicans must not get carried away this Christmas; they must curtail their ‘Chrismus’ urges and embrace sobriety, prudence, and common sense.

Yes, let the Christmas spirit find you in a good mood, but after you have danced and carried on “til broad daylight”, when the sun rises, let us hope that the ‘Chrismus spirits’ will not have left you in dire straits.

Merry Christmas, everyone. Be safe and of good cheer. Extend a helping hand to those in need, especially those unfortunate souls in the battered west.

Lloyd B Smith has been involved full-time in Jamaican media for the past 50 years. He has also served as a People’s National Party Member of Parliament and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. He hails from western Jamaica where he is popularly known as the Governor. Send comments to the Jamaica Observer or lbsmith4@gmail.com.