A Jamaica Vacation – Five Cultural Practices You Can Expect

Do you find the act of exploring and learning new cultural practices and traditions intriguing? Jamaican culture is undeniably one of the best in the Caribbean region. It is exhibited and practiced by the people who have occupied the Greater Antilles Island for many centuries. A Jamaican vacation can expose you to a people who boast a very unique way of life that has influences from Africans, Indian, Spaniards, and British. Even so, you will discover that the black community that arrived at the island during slave trade is the core drive as far as society and culture.

Jamaica is known worldwide for breeding the best Reggae musicians and athletes. It is also recognized for its affluent traditions and hospitality. You can enter the country through Jamaica cruise deals that are part of Caribbean Sea travel. If you have not been in Africa previously, you can also travel to this Caribbean country and feel as if you are in the core of African continent. The country boasts a very unique disposition and character when compared to the other islands. It is a wonderful tourist destination for honeymoons, weddings and usual adventures and explorations.

What cultures and traditions can you learn?

Traditional Jamaican dances – Have you not heard of the dance hall styles? The only way to find out exactly what it is all about is by touring the region. Dances have been the principle element of the traditional activities practiced in this nation since the colonization days. It is normally grouped into three categories. The first one is an African derived dance which is further grouped into social and religious dances. The examples of the latter include the famous pocomania, Kumina and Myal that are performed during religious rituals. The other category of the three dances includes the Creole, which mix the elements of African and European cultures. The songs and moves are generally tied to work and ring games. During the Caribbean East Indian festival, Hosay and Jonkannu are two fascinating jazzes that are performed. Other popular music styles in the area include reggae and ragga(dance hall).

Language – The main language spoken in Kingston and the entire Jamaica is English. However, as a tourist, you have an opportunity to learn the local slangs: Jamaican Creole and Patois.

Religion – This is an imperative cultural aspect you can expect to find in this homeland. The largest part of the population follows Christian faith and the main places of worship include the Church of God as well as Anglican. Rastafari movement which has strong and deep roots from the Ethiopia’s Coptic society is part of Christianity too. In this nation there are synagogues for Jews, mosques for Muslims, temples for Hindus and even places of worship for followers of Buddhism and Bahai faith.

Theatre, writing and literature – The first theatre was constructed around 1682 and today there are many of them. When you tour the region you can locate these centers as they can help you learn cultural activities such as music, dance, and other comical performances. Literature and writing is also part of this rich and affluent culture. You can find writing works written in local languages as well as English by famous writers like Derek Walcott.

Film industry – Even if this field is still growing, there are few movie series that use Jamaican themes. To experience the country’s movie film making aspect you can plan cruise deals around February when The Reggae Film Festival happens.