Cayman Thanksgiving
Plans are in full swing for the second annual Cayman Thanksgiving with celebrations on the weekend of 30 November – 2 December 2012. Why Cayman Thanksgiving? Well the easiest answer is “Why not”? After all, everyone who lives in the Cayman Islands is living in the 95th percentile in standard of living/quality of life in the world. That does not mean that we live in a perfect paradise, or that we do not havepeople with genuine needs in our community. In fact, there seems to be growing numbers of those who are being left behind.
However, no matter how bad things are, we still have so much to be thankful for. We only have to turn on the news and see what real oppression, suffering and hardship look like. Which one of us went to bed worrying about being dragged out of our homes and shot, or having our car shelled with mortars or our children’s school bombed? Sadly, this is the reality for so many. Famine, epidemics, civil war, out of control unemployment, no access to health, education or social welfare is just an average day for arguably the majority of the people in our world today.
When I sit and think about our history in Cayman, what our forefathers persevered through and the changes witnessed by my father’s and grandmother’s generations, there is no logical explanation for the economic miracle we have experienced in Cayman. Cayman has been truly blessed and we have in turn been a blessing to so many from all around the world who have been able to come here and make a better life for themselves and their families. That is something to celebrate and to give thanks for.
Unfortunately many of us in Cayman quickly forget how fortunate we are. When was the last time you asked someone how they were doing and they responded “Great!” ? It almost seems that we gravitate towards the negative seeing that it dominates so much of our conversations, thoughts and actions. It’s been observed somewhat tongue in cheek that basically two things bring people together in this community en masse – protests/demonstrations or funerals. That is sadly quite indicative of the power of the negative in Cayman. Sad or bad things get us going and fuel the passion in our lives.
So the Cayman Thanksgiving proposition is quite simple actually. Can we not agree in this community that for one day out of the year we won’t complain or row, or blog about our problems, or call in the radio shows to bemoan life’s woe’s? Instead let’s do what Caymanians have always done best and pull out our pots and pans, cook up some good traditional food using locally grown produce, invite family and friends over, including someone who isn’t from Cayman, and let’s give thanks for life’s many blessings – starting with the passage of Hurricane Season.
That’s what Cayman Thanksgiving is all about.
There is arguably no nation on earth who has as much to be thankful for as we do here in Cayman. So it is our hope that from this point onward on the first Sunday in December we will unite – Caymanians, expats, visitors – and celebrate all that’s good in Cayman, starting with giving thanks.
I invite everyone to learn more about Cayman Thanksgiving and about the plans for this weekend’s celebrations by visiting www.caymanthanksgiving.ky
Let’s give thanks together Cayman!
Category: Viewpoint
From what I can tell to event is more about stirring up nationalism than giving thanks for anything.
Please tell us how you reached that conclusion. I'd love to hear. Is it "nationalistic" to celebrate something Caymanian?
Apparently according to this viewpoint it was god that created the economic miracle of Cayman. Of course “God” worked through mafia and drug smugglers who came to launder money in the 80s and lay the foundation for modern Cayman.
give thanks to the expats!
Jerk Turkey! Yippee!
Cayman Thanksgiving has been around since the Presbyterian Church arrived here.
While Thanksgiving is a popular holiday in the United States it should be noted that the tradition was brought there by the pilgrims who simply carried on the tradition of the 'old world'.
In the United Kingdom and Europe it was known as 'Harvest Festival'. The full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox is called Harvest Moon and traditionally the festival was held on or near the Sunday off the Harvest Moon. The celebration of the Harvest Thanksgiving in the UK which is still carried on, took the form of a Church Service and a Harvest Supper.
The United Church in Cayman (formerly the Presbyterian Church) still holds Thanksgiving Services every year in each of their Charges. The Churches are decorated with the harvest theme and congregants bring their produce as an offering. The gifts are then given to the poor and needy in the various communities. October/November is the time that our crops are at their bounty.
Don't be fooled into believing that we are following the US. We are simply trying to re-enforce what we have always done but to now include the wider community.
There is nothing wrong with having a thankful heart no matter where you are. Just make sure we don't commercialise it as that would spoil the purpose and intention.
I prefer the German version
I prefer Ukrainian Orthodox Thanksgiving.
Then why make it in December? December has nothing to do with crops.
Why make it differnt at all?
For heaven's sakes! I cannot believe the negativity of the posters below. Here is a group of young people suggesting something positive and uplifting in our community and all you people can do is complain. Who said anything about having a holiday? The article says that it is occurring on the weekend. What is this got to do with importing cultural norms? Clearly it is not the same kind of event as the U.S. Thanksgiving and since when is reserving a time nationally to thank God the preserve of some particular culture? Traditions were all created at some point in time. If you are broke then you don't have to attend. No one is holding a gun to your head.
This is about encouraging a more positive mindset, and helping re-integrate a divided society. Instead of complaining about what we don't have let's give thanks for what we do have.
Samuel, don't let these people get to you.
Then save everyone some time and money and use the same weekend that the US Thanksgiving is, which is the weekend prior. (3rd Thursday in November)
It states something about 'homecoming'… and then fly home another 3 weeks later for Christmas…? WIth Christmas 3 weeks later, it's just kind of close together… Oh, whatever!
Why? The timing has to do with the end of hurricane season. That is one major thing we are giving thanks for.
So if we give thanks when the season is over, what happens in years when one of the islands is hit by a bad storm? Was god having an off day when Ivan and Paloma passed through?
You really are missing the point. If you are still alive there is something to give thanks for. It's only through God's mercy that we are not all destroyed.
Bro Samuel Thank you for such lovely suggestions for giving thanks. plough ahead, You have a task ahead of you to do what is right. You are a leader by example and loved by God.
Christ was a good man and we nailed him to the cross for our unbelief and greediness. The day of reconing will come, and they all will cry Lord, Lord.
But today I say lift up the name of the Lord .and give thanks for his greatness.
Cayman is already so Americanized. Why tag on another American tradition?
I agree. Just because you make it a different date, doesn't make it Caymanian.
But carry on if it eventually means we get another bank holiday!
the fact that you write that amuses me with your american spelling. "americanised" – although it is up for discussion whether that is even an accepted word
Whenever I hear theargument expressed as "Why Not?" that in effect is meaningless. What I truly hope is that this is not a tourism holiday simply expressed for obtaining more tourists and money for the country as there is an integrty issue here.
Holidays that have historical significance that truly expresss the cultural values of importance are what the country needs. By simply creating holidays and trying to give them a Caymanian cultural spin is disingenuous at best and dilutes the culture in a very negative way.
Many local people rale about what it means to be Caymanian and want the culture to be valued and respected which is good and proper but importing cultural norms from elsewhere breaks down the local culture to a point when some day it will be unrecognizable.
Don't you know we are broke?
What a waste of Money. Next thing the Brac will want their version
This place is getting more and more American everyday.
Who doesn't love thanksgiving??!
My only wish is for all the people behind these efforts to come together so that people don't get overwhelmed at this time of year. There is literally something going on every single day of this week, MOST of which are charitable or noble causes, and the truth is that people can't make it to all of them so they have to pick and choose and they suffer. Why stockpile everything at the end of the year?
Whilst this is a great and worthwhile event, which I applaud, the date is particularly inconvenient to many of us who are involved in the cultural heritage of the Cayman Islands.
We are in the middle of the 15th Annual Gimistory (the international storytelling festival of the Cayman Islands) which is run every year at this very same time. The date has been fixed for 15 years now as follows: Gimistory commences on the Saturday following the observance of U.S. Thanksgiving and runs for one week (Saturday – Saturday). This too is about celebrating Caymanian traditions and remembering our past – when gathering in each others' yards for a time of storytelling was the great entertainment of thetimes. Long before electricity was here with all the modern gadgets that brought (television, movies, nintendo and other similar types of entertainment).
Nonetheless, I wish the promoters, organisers, performers (all my colleagues and friends) a very successful Cayman Thanksgiving but unfortunately will not be able to attend, since tonight, Saturday 2nd December is the Grand Finale of GIMISTORY 2012 at Smith's Barcadere (aka Smith's Cove). This is a much anticipated event every year – free family entertainment with world class performers, coupled with free fish 'n fritters and swanky; hard to beat, really!