Friday, March 29, 2013
Happy Easter
Ever so often people get nostalgic for the good old days and bemoan the loss of tradition. One tradition that has endured is the practice of not eating meat on Good Friday. Therefore, on the days preceding Good Friday shoppers could be seen busily stocking up on mackerel, codfish, herring and fresh fish. I have never fully understood the significance but found it an annoyance when my normal childhood eating habits were brutally suspended on Good Friday.
However, I have noticed that the reverence reserved for Good Friday is slowly eroding. As a child and young adult the day had a more solemn feel to it. You knew going to the beach was out partly because you feared drowning and your parents said in no uncertain terms that the day was for reflection. I must be old fashioned but when I see groups of people celebrating Good Friday in a secular manner it just doesn't seem right.
In fact I find Easter has taken on a "carnivalish" vibe. So much focus is on the Grenadines and the all inclusive parties, queen shows, wet fetes etc that you'd be forgiven if you thought it was Carnival warm up.Yet at the end of the day we claim to be so christian but seem not to have a problem with the changing face of the Easter. Maybe I am just getting old
However, I have noticed that the reverence reserved for Good Friday is slowly eroding. As a child and young adult the day had a more solemn feel to it. You knew going to the beach was out partly because you feared drowning and your parents said in no uncertain terms that the day was for reflection. I must be old fashioned but when I see groups of people celebrating Good Friday in a secular manner it just doesn't seem right.
In fact I find Easter has taken on a "carnivalish" vibe. So much focus is on the Grenadines and the all inclusive parties, queen shows, wet fetes etc that you'd be forgiven if you thought it was Carnival warm up.Yet at the end of the day we claim to be so christian but seem not to have a problem with the changing face of the Easter. Maybe I am just getting old
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Happy Women's Day
The UN's theme for International Women's Day 2013 is "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women. It goes without saying that it's a sentiment I fully endorse. Much has been said and written and it's indeed time for action to support the talk.
That being said I take the opportunity to salute all the women who refuse to be placed in a societal box that tells them what they can or cannot do, the women who quietly do the work that often goes unnoticed, the single women who are both mother and father to their offspring, the superwomen who juggle careers and families, the ones who shatter the glass ceilings. Yes, with all the discussions about "a woman's place" we know that our place is any and every place where we do what we can to make a better society.
I thank God for all the wonderful women in my life. The ones who continue to nurture, support, and love me even in my darkest moments. You have all made life so much more tolerable. Happy Women's Day to all my sisters. Love yourselves, respect yourselves and continue to rise
That being said I take the opportunity to salute all the women who refuse to be placed in a societal box that tells them what they can or cannot do, the women who quietly do the work that often goes unnoticed, the single women who are both mother and father to their offspring, the superwomen who juggle careers and families, the ones who shatter the glass ceilings. Yes, with all the discussions about "a woman's place" we know that our place is any and every place where we do what we can to make a better society.
I thank God for all the wonderful women in my life. The ones who continue to nurture, support, and love me even in my darkest moments. You have all made life so much more tolerable. Happy Women's Day to all my sisters. Love yourselves, respect yourselves and continue to rise
