This is a great article for anyone looking to "experience" Jamaica.


Be Jamaican for a week...
Get to know our people and culture!
So you’re coming to Jamaica and you wonder what Jamaicans do with their time. Well, given the complexities of Jamaican society, one can spend forever learning about our people and culture, but if you have one week and would like to “be” a Jamaican, here’s what we suggest:

Attend a Religious Service.

Jamaica is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as having more churches per square mile than any other country, a fact that many Jamaicans are proud of and quick to extol. In addition, we have created many fascinating forms of European and African forms of worship blended into Christianity, as well as creating unique belief systems such as Rastafari. Regardless of your own religious beliefs, attending service in Jamaica is certainly a most telling cultural experience. The options are wide and varied. There are the more formal traditional services of Christian churches such as the ones held at historic parish churches. There are also non-traditional services that take place anywhere from under huge circus-style tents, riverbanks and small one-room chapels to large modern worship halls, while Rastafarians sometimes hold large meetings to ‘chant’. Religion is a central part of the lives of most Jamaicans, and most religious-minded people here would be more than happy to have you join them in worship. If you choose to go to any meeting, be sure to inquire about etiquette, and be prepared to meet some of the most welcoming Jamaicans and witness first hand the power of belief.

Share Sunday Dinner with a Jamaican Family.

Sunday dinner is one of the most time-honoured traditions of the typical Jamaican family. Rice and peas, chicken and a salad are practically staples, but often meals include a second meat, baked sweet potato, and cooked garden vegetables. Of course, no meal is complete without fresh juice of whichever fruit is in season, and baked pastry served with ice cream or fresh fruit for dessert. Be prepared to eat all the food on your plate! Here in Jamaica we have a saying; “betta belly bus’ dan good bickle go to wase” (we’re sure you will figure that one out on your own!) Apart from delectable dishes, a big feature of Sunday dinner is the community of people – relatives and friends – that come together for it.

Watch or play a cricket match, or ‘run some ball’.

Jamaicans are passionate about their sports, and every week whole communities come out to support their local teams, or to play in spirited and highly competitive rounds. Certainly, the two most popular sports in Jamaica are cricket and football (called ‘soccer’ in the United States, and simply ‘ball’ in Jamaica). Across the country, community fields and pitches dot the land strategically located wherever there is unused open land space. Since participants in local leagues are generally men who have day jobs, most games and matches take place in the early evening or on weekends. Many matches are spontaneous, and teams grow as players arrive. With all levels of skills and talents represented, it’s not hard to join a team for one game or so, but being a spectator is an amusing experience too. While not all players are professionals, all spectators have ‘expert’ opinions to offer, sometimes highly amusing ones that keep the games light-hearted and entertaining! Learn the lingo, pick a side, and join in the fun…Howzat!

‘Reason’ or have some ‘Veranda Talk’.

As a people, Jamaicans have never been afraid to hold and defend an opinion. In fact, we enjoy being thought of as “the loudest little island in the world”! We express ourselves – clearly and eloquently – through music, art and literature, but most of all though discussion. ‘Reasoning’, the act of debating or discussing a point or idea to exhaustion, can and does take place anywhere, anytime. ‘Veranda talk’ follows the same idea, but is usually reserved for verandas, front porches, or drawing rooms, supplemented by tea or lemonade and appropriate snacks. However formal or informal the setting, Jamaicans love to exchange thoughts, and a lot of time here is devoted to talking – talking about everything – politics, art, music, sport, world events, the weather and the state of the roads. In fact, any subject worthy of a passing thought is worthy of debate, and a major part of socializing here involves…just talking!


‘Go ‘a dance’.

No visit to Jamaica can be complete without a night out on the town, Jamaican style. Whatever town you’re in, there will be at least one night in the week when everyone will ‘dress up and go sport’, at a community ‘dance’, ‘session’ or stage show. Loud sound system speaker boxes stacked high into the air belting out hit tunes to welcome patrons, who come decked out in the latest and sometimes most outrageous outfits. You can easily find out what ‘a carry the swing’, simply by walking around – brightly coloured and often amusing flyers promoting the event will be posted almost everywhere. These posters will give you all the information you need; the names (and aliases) of the promoters, the name of the sound system or dee-jays playing the music, and the date, occasion and location as well as the entry fee. Generally, the rules are the same as those around the world; women should be cautious when handling their drinks, and we suggest going in a group, preferably with a Jamaican to accompany your party. Certainly, the most important rule for attending any dance/session/stage show in Jamaica is also the easiest to adhere to: be sure to “forget your troubles…and dance!”


‘Lick two domino.’

Jamaica’s unofficial national pastime is, without a doubt, playing dominoes. The energetically loud crash of ‘cards’ onto makeshift tables is a familiar sound throughout the country, heard everywhere from the fisherman’s huts in seaside villages to the luxurious patios of palatial mountain homes. What makes this game so popular? We’re not sure. But Jamaicans do have domino playing down to a science, and are always eager to take on challengers, either as individuals or as members of two-person teams. There is much more to dominoes than just the game itself. Most encounters last six ‘hands’, leaving plenty of time to reason, tell tales or to brag. But pay attention! Most regular domino players have perfected the art of seeming preoccupied while they assess the game, and will seize any moment of distraction to deliver crushing defeat, loudly and bombastically!

‘Go ‘a Market’

The most famous produce market, Coronation Market in downtown Kingston is the island’s largest, attracting higglers from all over Jamaica. All over the island, however, each town and village has its own local market – some of the more popular ones include the Linstead Market in St Catherine, the Brown’s Town Market in St. Ann, The Savanna-La-Mar Market in Westmoreland, and the Albert George Market in Falmouth. In most markets, just about any natural produce that grows in Jamaica is available; everything from ackee to yam, from seasonal gungu peas and otaheite apples to the ever-present chocho, dasheen and breadfruit. The variety of choice is not limited to fresh fruit and vegetables, most markets in Jamaica carry a variety of healing herbs like cerasse and leaf of life, spices such as pimento, nutmeg and cinnamon and miscellaneous items such as honey, kulu kulu rum and home-made soap. A Jamaican market scene is a masterful pot-pourri of tropical scents and sounds: vendors hawking wares, children laughing and hundreds of transactions being completed. back



The source of the article can be found HERE

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"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

Great article JC. Thanks for sharing.

Anytime! Also I've done some of that stuff an it makes for a much more satisfying experience.

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"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

JC that is a very nice post--captures the flavour very well. One thing--there should be some sort of side-note, warning or disclaimer pointing out that "Lick Two Domino" doesn't literally mean to lick the dominoes. Not that they would tast that bad (probably just a bit salty from all the handling) but this could be considered unhygenic and probably not a very good idea.

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"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

I have tasted dominoes and they done taste too bad. Dont ask if I lost a few (6) games or not.

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One World, One People



The opinions expressed by Samba are not the official opinions of ETJ or its owners.

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"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

Wonderful advice. I couldn't agree more. Though I offer tours islandwide, my favorites are the country tours and the people. A service on Sunday in Orange Bay followed by Sunday with chicke, rice and peas and maybe some june plum juice. Yum! Anyone wishing the less traveled road, please contact me at JamaicaMaryAnn@aol.com or through Yahoo! at http://www,jamaicaconcierge.com/ Irie!

Re-mix.....just in case any new members would like to read this.

OR they could just come to ETJ and pretend they're Jamaican. LOL. But this really is a good article.

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"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

Articles like that make me miss the island even more.

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If you've never stared off in the distance, then your life is a shame...

We dreamers have our ways
Of facing rainy days
And somehow we survive

I agree J.G. But it is a good article and certainly goes some way towards capturing the flavour of our Island for anybody that's never visited.

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One Love, One Inity. In the Name of The Most High Jah Rastafari. Blessed.

I thought of one that should be added....

Cheat on Your Spouse

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I miss it too Jomo. And for the record I make sure that when I go I act as little like a North American as possible. You miss SOOOO much by staying within the confines of a resort and not discovering the actual culture in a different country.

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"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -- Helen Keller

Urban, stop it now. UUUUGGGGHHHHHHHHH....... I have my fingers in my ears......I can't hear you. Nuff' of those kinds of threads now.

Probably why we do and are going to get along so well, JC.....Great minds think alike!

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If you've never stared off in the distance, then your life is a shame...

We dreamers have our ways
Of facing rainy days
And somehow we survive