Are you a Christmas fanatic who shops all year round for decorations and gifts or more of a Scrooge? If you are the first, then visit the Caribbean anytime after October. Christmas in the Caribbean starts early: all the malls in St. Lucia were decorated and Christmas carols blasted from the speakers when we were there in November.
Since readers liked last year’s photo blog from Florida, here’s one from the Caribbean, mostly Martinique, where Santa and other holiday decor is the norm. The majority of the festive ornamentation is traditional and (fake) evergreen and wreaths abound, but I prefer the original and surprising celebrations, like the relaxed Santa in the display in Sainte Anne, Martinique.
Traditional christmas displays
We’ve visited several towns, malls and the Christmas Market (Marché Noël) in Fort De France. While pine trees are hard to come by, the spirit is here and the kids all seem to love it.
santas on the streets
My favorite display was in Saint Anne, Martinique where Santa is relaxing in a hammock with a drink. Another highlight was the Santa motorcycle rally we saw last weekend in Trois Islets! Bike after bike driven by costumed Santas! A true Caribbean Christmas celebration!
christmas in the caribbean on a boat
Boaters decorate too! Can’t say Brian and I are that organized but we’ve got the hats!
Christmas in the caribbean
This is our first Christmas on the boat and we are fortunate to be spending it with cruiser friends.
Last night was a music jam and lots of snacks and drinks on one boat, and today is a pot-luck feast on another boat.
As they say in France, Joyeuses Fetes!
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Sounds magical!
Happy New Year! Miss ya!
I have never had a warm christmas, so this would be really fun to experience! I love the poster with santa at the beach. 🙂
What do you eat for a Caribbean Christmas?
Hi Josy! A warm Christmas is nice: I am definitely getting used to it! In Martinique, the influence is very French. The supermarkets sell lots of pastries and cookies, and duck and ham were both popular main course items. And since it’s the Caribbean, lots of fish are available! The only thing that is tough to find is turkey, which is more of an issue at Thanksgiving time. Have a great holiday!
Fish for Christmas actually sounds amaaaazing! We can save turkey for cold festive times!
This is kind of reminding me of Christmas in Spain with all of the lack of snow! Loved reading your post.
Oh my goodness I love the Santas riding through town on motorcycles!!