Informative Essay On Jamaica

Jonathan Nguyen
FN 228
February 27,2015
History of Jamaica
Jamaica is located in the Caribbean Sea and is part of the Greater Antilles, which is a chain of 4 islands that form the northern boundary of the Caribbean Sea. Jamaica is also the 3rd largest out of the 4 islands (Mordecai 1). Christopher Columbus was the first European to set foot in Jamaica. He arrived in 1494 and named the island “Santiago” (Culture of Jamaica). Since the arrival of Columbus, Jamaica became a Spanish colony from 1494 to 1655 and then a British colony from 1655 to 1962. Jamaica became an independent country in 1962 thanks to the acception of the British government (Zach 63). The official language of Jamaica is English (Culture of Jamaica). Uniqueness of the Culture
Although the official language of Jamaica is English, Jamaicans show
their uniqueness as a culture with their own linguistic style. It varies from village to village, but it is generally the same. It is known as Jamaican Creole (Patois), which is a mix of Spanish, African, and English (Jamaican Culture). Political conditions have affected Jamaica, which is why their main language is English, which reflects the British colonial heritage(Jamaican Culture). Although Christmas is both celebrated in Jamaica and it’s neighboring country, the U.S., it is a bit different. During the Christmas season, Jamaican families welcome each other and would hold luncheons and dinners in different houses until the first week of January (Mordecai 91). This doesn’t happen in the United States, but rather mad dashes to shopping malls and trampling other people to buy gifts.
Common Foods Used by the Culture
Jamaican food is typically cooked with two defining characteristics: a lot of oil is used during food preparation and the food is seasoned heavily (Mordecai 86). Typical foods that are consumed in Jamaica are saal fish, herbal tea, bread, plantains, fried dumplings, stew or roasted beef, boiled yam, and rice (Culture of Jamaica). Major Religions of the Culture
Religious communities in the Jamaican culture are Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Roman Catholics, Mormons, and last of all, the Rastafarians (Bayer 57).
In Jamaica, Christmas is one of the biggest celebrated holidays. During the Christmas season, Jamaican families welcome each other and would hold luncheons and dinners in different houses until the first week of January (Mordecai 91). During Easter, Jamaican households would refrain from cooking food between the Holy Thursday afternoon and Easter Sunday morning. After the time passes, they would celebrate and eat a large breakfast (Mordecai 92-93). A typical food that is associated with during Easter is bun-and-cheese. It is a loaf-shaped spiced bread with dried chopped fruit with cheddar.
Health Beliefs
The Jamaican culture does use food for healing and health care. According to a study, 72.6% of Jamaicans have used medicinal plants and herbs to maintain health and treat illnesses (Picking). Herbs for teas the most common things to use to heal illnesses. They are prepared by infusion or boiling in water, then adding sugar and then consumed. Problems in the
U.S. Jamaicans have had trouble in the past when living in the U.S. Although they were considered free people and able to work as free people they were not always safe,“Since Jamaica was a major way station and clearing house for slaves en route to North America” (Murrell). They were still vulnerable to slavery.
Conclusion
I found the culture to be very interesting. The people have a very strong respect for their country and it’s admiring to know. I loved the idea that for Christmas they would eat at different houses of family members until the first week of January. It reminds me how strong of a bond that family is. I’m quite fascinated in how their language was based off of. I would have never guessed that it was a mix of Spanish, African, and English.