The Christmas year end holiday season is upon us once again and the New York-based Guyanese are set to welcome the holiday cheer. Most are in a jolly mood at home and going shopping and trying to make the lives of others better. As in Guyana, Guyanese in New York celebrate the season together with compassion for the poor and in harmony. Religion and ethnicity don’t divide us.

The shops in the Guyanese and Caribbean neighbourhoods are buzzing with shoppers to keep the family happy. Families want to make their kids happy. Even with shallow pockets, they go shopping to keep their children happy.

Stores are well decorated for the season in the Richmond Hill and Flatbush shopping districts. Multi-coloured lights and other paraphernalia are on display in front of stores brightening them at dusk. The lights, trimmings and other decorations are brightening up the place. One can purchase virtually everything related to Christmas at the dozens of Guyanese and other Caribbean stores that line Liberty Avenue and people come from distant places to patronize the stores. The stores on Liberty Avenue and the shopping neighbourhood are brightened for the yuletide season, well decorated with party favours and buntings comparable to any other shopping district in the city during Christmas. Appropriate Christmas music at full blast emanates from many of the Guyanese stores.

The aromatic smell of dainty dishes wafts in the air from the restaurants and bakeries selling delicious tasting Guyanese bread, pastries and cakes. The roti shops are doing very good business. And the bars are also doing brisk business as usual in spite of a slow economy and less spending power. In Flatbush, people sang carols on the sidewalks and solicited donations to feed the less fortunate.

The Christmas spirit is also on display in residential areas as well with homes in the Guyanese neighbourhoods having an abundance of flickering multi-coloured lights on the exterior next to fluttering Jhandis and lighted crescents. Even the trees outside on the lawn are well decorated. Lights in the shape of drapes, curtains and icicles hang down on ceilings and roofs. It is as if the houses engage in an unofficial competition for the best decorated and most lit title, not dissimilar from some homes in Guyana.

Just as in Guyana, the Christmas holiday festival in New York transcends religions as people of all faiths prepare to welcome Santa and to bring cheer to children and other family members. Many volunteered to make the lives of others better helping at food pantries. Halal meat shops cater for the season with long lines. Unlike in Guyana, where schools were shuttered last Friday, in NY schools only closed on Saturday gone. And unlike in Guyana, there are no school parties or Christmas carolling because of the strict separation of church and state. But as usual, I treated my students with goodies.

Many Guyanese departed for the motherland while others will leave in the coming days. Caribbean Airlines and Delta were sold out two weeks ago but many still take a chance going stand-by at the airport.

On Friday afternoon, I observed many pleading with CAL agents at JFK to get on a flight as I boarded my flight for Holland on a research project among Surinamese and Guyanese who are settled there. Many reminisce about the holiday season at home and many of those who can’t make it sent gifts including lots of cash so their brethren can have a wonderful holiday.

Merry Christmas all.