Dear Editor,
I am a 1960 child and I left as a 16-year-old for medical studies in America. I reminisce with friends and family members of many fun activities of the holiday season during the 1960s and 1970s, the kinds of food and drinks that we enjoyed that came from what Burnham used to call “imperialist” (White man) countries. We reminisce of the jokes, of talking, of the laughter, of the fun we had, and of the hard times set upon us by Burnham dictatorship of having to cope with shortage of food and the onset of starvation. Traditions have been lost as a result of a terrible government.
My fondest memories from my childhood remain. I remember well the many things youngster like me did, playing with toys in the village, celebrating the season during the holiday break from school. We were contented with small things, even a cricket ball that we used to play during the three weeks break from studies. Those are unforgettable memories that today’s kids would not relate with. It was a period of shortages of various items and of virtually no electricity or stoves or fridge and no name brands of anything and yet we were contented. One had limited amenities but maximum joy as we were not exposed to the kind of things that today’s children see on TV or experience in visits to the white man countries. Would Burnham have tolerated what he called the White man goods?
Whether they observed Christmas or not, people were in the hustle and bustle of the season with everyone making preparation to close out the old year and welcome the New Year. Everyone, except for those in mourning over the loss of a loved one, was in a holiday mood – shopping to prepare special meals and baking cakes. I remember well fill out shopping lists or buyers. I used to work at my aunt’s grocery during the late 1960s and thru high school before leaving the shores in 1977. I remember very well selling varied brands of wine imported from Madeira, peardrax, cydrax, imported dried fruits, nuts, chocolate, milk, apples, grapes, cheese, butter, and so many other items that were popular during the season. And then the food ban came. The Burnham government prohibited private business from importing or exports goods; government instituted control over all trade. No food or drink was imported starting from the early 1970s. One had to be contented with local goods (cassava, eddo, yam, long sweetie and chico brand sweets) and even these were in shortage, with some costlier than imports from white countries. This triggered the contraband trading that flourished across the three borders. Although flour, dhal, channa, alou, onion, garlic, spices, cherries, prunes, raisons, currents, citrons, spices, cheese, and so many other items were banned, they were smuggled across the river from Surinam. They were costly; those who could afford it purchase some of the items to have an enjoyable holiday. Others, the very poor, had to make do without them, eating instead cassava pun as Burnham suggested. But even the poor wanted to eat a delicious cake made from cherries and other dried fruits or to eat a piece of (ice or Christmas) apple.
Long before Christmas, the house was clean spic and span. Floor was varnished, tree trunks whitewashed, grass cut, curtains changed, table cover replaced, and mirrors cleaned. New clothes were purchased. But one was lucky to get a new pair of shoes or a ‘yathing’ (no brand white sneakers).
For preparation of meals and snacks, I remember family members gathering in and around the kitchen, helping in the preparation of various foods and cakes. The children competed to help with preparing the mix for the cake or bread or pastries (pine tart, black eye, and turn over or salara were popular) as we got to lick the basin after the mix was put in baking pans. And baking was done over a chulha (fireside) or an oil drum heated or a baking container heated with lit wood or coals. A few people had kerosene stoves; gas stoves came much later but through the 1990s. Few Guyanese had stoves. And fewer had fridge. Initially, a few Guyanese had kerosene fridge that was replaced with electric fridge during the late 1980s. But electric fridge was useless as black was a daily feature of life. Even people with their own power generators could not find them useful as diesel or petrol was always in shortage during the 1970s thru 1992.
Although the cake was baked before, one could not get any till Christmas Day and mother shared them out or assigned a sister to distribute slices based on size of the brother or sister. One could not cut a piece without permission, Off course, as small kids, the children would steal a slice trying not to be caught. Or else licks. The cake was a precious item, valued in gold because it was not easy to get flour or fruits to prepare it. Even sugar at times was in shortage. And water, we had to walk a mile to get a bucket of the precious liquid. Oh what a delightful aroma of freshly baked bread or cake or pasties wafting through the house or the neighborhood. It was quite tasty with melting margarine or a piece of Dutch Head or tip top cheese. It was washed down with pine drink or Kool Aid; soft drink was not always affordable.
Following the passing of Burnham in August 1985 and his replacement by Desmond Hoyte, the ban on imports was removed around 1988. Merchants started importing White man goods with their own foreign currency in 1989. Hoyte said the country had no foreign money for imports. Toilet paper in shortage during the 1980s returned to the stores as did apples, grapes, matches, corned mutton, sardines, ketchup, and so many other items. The country came back to life thanks to the awakening of Hoyte that the ban was responsible for increasing rates of starvation. The Christmas spirit returned with the removal of the food ban. Of course since the restoration of democracy in 1992, times have changed. And technology has contributed to a changing nation.
I can look back with joy how traditions and customs, so simple, helped to foster so much love, peace and unity among people.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
