guyana2

Old Years Day - island style

by Ann Diamond

I remember New Years Eve or "Old Years Day", as we call it in our homeland as funny, happy and a typical family-get-together. At our home, a holiday without a fight is not a holiday. There will be relatives coming from far and near like aunts, uncles, and cousins. And as usual, my grandma, grandpa and parents were the hosts.

As with any holiday there will be food, lots of food and liquor. Rum, banks beer, stout and whatever else they can put together. During the festivities the men usually end up sitting downstairs and the women upstairs in the kitchen, that is until the music and liquor kicks in.

Everyone will dance and sings then a sudden scratch on the record player. Silence. And the argument begins. I am a better dancer, or remember what you did two weeks ago or you know I have more money than you. All it takes is a wrong look or stepping on someone's foot for this to repeat itself.

Just before the clock strikes 12 A.M. on New Years Day, a truce will be called for at least 15 minutes. Somewhere in the chaos, spoon will be stashed into empty bottles and pots and pans are ready to bring in the New Years with a bang.

There are tears, lots of tears, hugs, kisses and a wish for health, wealth, strengths and so on. Then there is the reassurance: "Remember we are all family here."

Like a merry-go-round that was put on pause, out comes the sweet music of gossip, bragging rights and the status of who has the better dysfunctional family continued.

During the morning hours, after coffee, tea and bread, they prepare for their journey back home with the sweet thought that this get together was fun and it should be done again next year.

As illogical as this may be, this is the way of some island people including my own. Looking forward to the next year of drunkenness, dancing and arguments was a way of life.

Some New Year's can act in a strange ways. All it takes is a strong argument, in one of them, which is continued in the morning hours where new family members arrive, miraculously that day, to continue the wars on words for another day or two. All in all, it was a way of expressing their closeness and love.

As the sun sets in my later years, the memory of these family get together during the "Old Years Days" bring fondness to another life that was filled with laughter and now with tears.