📍 Throughout the Country
Description
The entire month of December is a very joyous season in Trinidad and Tobago. Christmas is celebrated with large gatherings of families and friends sharing sumptuous meals all while opening gifts that are under the Christmas tree. In traditional observances of Christmas in Trinidad and Tobago, visitors known as paranderos are invited to partake in the celebrations as they go from house to house evoking the spirit of the season by serenading families with indigenous Spanish carols, known as Parang, which are similar to paranda music of South America. .
Brief History
Christmas is known to be a religious observance of Christianity celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ whose life and teachings are the basis of Christianity. The term “Christmas” originates from an old English word that “Cristes Masse” which means “Christ’s Mass”. Most Christians commemorate the birth of the Christ on December 25th with the first commemoration being held in the 4th Century AD. The date selected is said to have been selected by Pope Julius I (336 – 352) and coincided with a Roman pagan feast. In Trinidad and Tobago Christmas has expanded well beyond a religious celebration to a cultural one.
Points of Interest
o Many celebrate the birth of Christ by attending mass at church. Families and friends hold large gatherings that feature tasty local meals and visitors are invited to join in the celebrations. o Groups of people move from house to house similar to European and American carolers singing parang, an indigenous Spanish carol.
