By Kareem Smith
Bold fashion statements and the sweet songs of the Christmas season provided the right atmosphere for yet another memorable Christmas in the Park.
The numbers were modest, but the spirit of good cheer was still very much alive as dozens converged on the grounds of Queens Park to carry on the annual tradition.
As is customary, many left early morning church services clad in their finest to ring in another Christmas celebration, in style. The dresses, suits, high heels and ‘square mouth’ shoes were extremely unique.
Some stuck to their usual Christmas colors of red, white and green, while others displayed more adventurous fashion choices including several African styles.
Serenaded by the sweet sound of the Royal Barbados Police Force Band, accompanied by Soca sensation Biggie Irie and Kelly Cadogan, patrons danced the morning away from as early as 7o’clock, sharing with others the warmth and joy of Christmas.
The police band was followed by the group, Promise who wowed the crowd with traditional Christmas selections, before switching to more contemporary styles.
Patrick Waithe who was at the park with his wife, Jewel Waithe and his godson, Shea Thorne said they considered it a blessing to be together for the special occasion.
“This is the first time in the park for my wife with us, [but] my godson and I come every year, so this is like a tradition to us.
“To me, it gives you a feeling of Christmas and what Christmas is all about. All the dressing up and how friendly the people are. It all just gives you the feeling of Christmas,” said Patrick, while for his wife Jewel, “ [Christmas in the park] kind of sets the tone for the day.”
The happy couple, whose outfits complimented each other quite nicely, said that the Christmas spirit of Barbadians is very much alive.
“I think we Bajans still have Christmas at heart, it’s just that depending on the economy, we downsize accordingly,” said Jewel.
While Patrick’s godson, Shea was a little shy about sharing his Christmas wish, the adults were a lot bolder, saying they were hoping to see an improvement in the country’s ailing economy.
“I would like the economy to turn around so we can spend more…so that we could enjoy a bit more and do more of things that we want to do…this year, we had to make sacrifices, but hopefully things will turn around and we can go back to enjoying everything about Christmas that we want to,” said Patrick.
Meanwhile, Lorna “Ms Claus” Bryan was one of the show stoppers on the day. Ms. Clause revealed that her dress was made from “a new panel of window curtains.”
“I wanted something totally different, I made this outfit and I trimmed it with the green,” she said.
“The white stands for peace, the green stands for prosperity, and of course there is a lot of love around and I have a lot of it to share,” she said laughingly.
“For me, I’m keeping it real, it’s marvelous. I keep my spirit alive, no matter what. I love me, and I love life. I don’t do stress or worry; I have no time for that.”
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