On Christmas Eve, while a lot of the world is tucked up at home, Jamaica goes to town. Literally. Grand Market is the night-long Christmas Eve street market held in town centres across the island — and for many Jamaicans it’s the real start of Christmas.
What happens at Grand Market?
Streets fill with vendors selling toys, clothes, shoes, sweets, balloons and street food. Families come out in their new Christmas clothes, children pick out toys, music plays from every corner, and the crowd stays out late into the night — often until Christmas morning. It’s part shopping, part party, part parade of everybody’s best outfit.
[ALY: your own Grand Market memory — which town, what you begged for, what you ate. This is what makes the post ours.]
Where does it come from?
Grand Market grew out of the Christmas holidays during slavery, when the enslaved were given a short break and gathered in towns to trade, celebrate and see family. Over time it became the island-wide Christmas Eve tradition it is today. [ALY: add a source or two before publishing — e.g. Jamaica Information Service or a Gleaner feature.]
What to eat
- Jerk pork and chicken off the drum
- Roast corn and roast yam
- Fried fish and festival
- Snow cones, grater cake, gizzada and other sweets
- A cold glass of sorrel [ALY: link once published]
Going home for Christmas? Tips for Grand Market
- Go early in the evening with children, and later if you want the party.
- Carry small bills and keep valuables close — it gets very crowded.
- Wear comfortable shoes. Yes, even with the new outfit.
- Ask family which town’s Grand Market is the best — everybody has an opinion.
Can’t make it home this year?
Bring a likkle Grand Market to wherever you are: make sorrel and Christmas cake, play some Jamaican Christmas music, and call family on Christmas Eve night. [ALY: link to Back a Yard trip planner product once it exists]
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