Christmas Spirit in the Bahamas

It’s December 20^th, 5 days before Christmas and the 100^th day of our adventure. It is hard to be away from family for Christmas, no doubt about that. But, we carry the people we love in our hearts with us, and with modern technology we can even stay in touch.

The community of Hope Town graciously shares its Christmas spirit and welcomes all to participate.The harbor and the settlement are decorated with displays of holiday lights. It is a bit tricky to shoot a picture of the lights at night from a gently swaying boat or from a dinghy, but hopefully this will give you a sense of our surroundings.

We took an evening stroll to see the decorated houses in the settlement (did I mention that it is not called “the town”? Everyone refers to it as “the settlement.”

The two  inns in the settlement have real Christmas trees! And they smell so good.

We did not bring any Christmas decorations with us from Connecticut (it was a space issue and back in September, Christmas seemed far away.) Living on a boat forces one to be become inventive and creative. I had picked up three large pine cones when we hiked Cumberland Island in Georgia, bought Christmas towels and cards at TJ MAXX in Vero Beach, and have combed the beach each day since we arrived in Hope Town. The pine cones became miniature Christmas trees adorned with the bits of beach shells. I bought a pine/fir scented candle and burn it regularly to fill the boat with the smells of a real Christmas tree.

Captain Jack’s, a local bar on the settlement docks, hosted a Trim the Tree night – bring a handcrafted ornament and get a free drink. It was also Taco Tuesday (2 for fish tacos for $6) and 2 for 1 marguerita night. I had a few beachy holiday cards and made two of my little boxes, adding green yarn (originally intended as a starboard wind indicator). Voila! Handcrafted ornaments. I couldn’t part with the tiny sea glass wreath I made. Sorry, Captain Jack!

Hope Town held a caroling night. About 100 people gathered to walk together through the streets of the settlement and sing Christmas carols. We stopped at homes and sang, wishing everyone, “a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” It doesn’t matter where you may be,  “Frosty the Snowman” and “Jingle Bells” are still included in the repertoire of traditional carols. It was a very enjoyable evening to help us find and share the Christmas spirit. My favorite song, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas” was not on the list. 😉 I guess if you are here in the Bahamas that is one Christmas wish that is highly unlikely!