Today in Trinidad and Tobago we celebrate Spiritual Baptists Liberation Day, yes another holiday! Actually apart from New Year’s Day, this is the second official Holiday of the year. Carnival Monday and Tuesday are not official holidays but you would never know seeing as many people do not go to work on those days! Imagine Trinidad and Tobago has fourteen official Holidays per year, plus Carnival which gives us a two day lagniappe, three if you count the hundreds of employees (me included) who never show up to work on Ash Wednesday.
As I enjoy this long weekend, it is followed by two consecutive four day work weeks. We celebrate Good Friday next week, with Easter Monday immediately following. What that means is an extra long weekend NEXT week as well. Isn’t life grand here in Trinidad and Tobago? Some may say we just have too many holidays, think about it, we practically get a day off every month with a couple extra days to spare. Business men and foreign investors may frown upon all this time we get to spend at our leisure and ask for holidays to be removed from the calendar, but we all know that is not happening. Just look at Republic Day, one year it is gone, the next year it is back again. Trinidadian’s were even calling for the Chinese Bicentennial Holiday we got last year to be a staple on the Calendar, but those ever thrifty Chinese said no, all they wanted was ONE day.
If I had to lobby for a holiday I would gladly give up a few days out of the fourteen that we now enjoy to make Carnival an official week long celebration. When Carnival is over I am always left thinking it was too short! My dream would be to play mas with one band on Monday and Tuesday, short “rest” on Wednesday and play again with a different band on Thursday and Friday! Maybe they could then stagger the Carnival, having two different routes for the two different periods. So Monday and Tuesday you jump up in Port of Spain and Thursday and Friday you jump up in say Woodbrook making your way down the Foreshore and to the Stadium for last lap jump up. Honestly after that marathon parade route this year (it was never ending don’t you think?) I could easily take that in two separate doses, on two separate days. Hey it is nice to dream, even if it never comes to fruition.
So to all those in Trinidad enjoy your holiday today and those who are toiling away in “foreign” I will enjoy the beach and a bake and shark for you !!
As I enjoy this long weekend, it is followed by two consecutive four day work weeks. We celebrate Good Friday next week, with Easter Monday immediately following. What that means is an extra long weekend NEXT week as well. Isn’t life grand here in Trinidad and Tobago? Some may say we just have too many holidays, think about it, we practically get a day off every month with a couple extra days to spare. Business men and foreign investors may frown upon all this time we get to spend at our leisure and ask for holidays to be removed from the calendar, but we all know that is not happening. Just look at Republic Day, one year it is gone, the next year it is back again. Trinidadian’s were even calling for the Chinese Bicentennial Holiday we got last year to be a staple on the Calendar, but those ever thrifty Chinese said no, all they wanted was ONE day.
If I had to lobby for a holiday I would gladly give up a few days out of the fourteen that we now enjoy to make Carnival an official week long celebration. When Carnival is over I am always left thinking it was too short! My dream would be to play mas with one band on Monday and Tuesday, short “rest” on Wednesday and play again with a different band on Thursday and Friday! Maybe they could then stagger the Carnival, having two different routes for the two different periods. So Monday and Tuesday you jump up in Port of Spain and Thursday and Friday you jump up in say Woodbrook making your way down the Foreshore and to the Stadium for last lap jump up. Honestly after that marathon parade route this year (it was never ending don’t you think?) I could easily take that in two separate doses, on two separate days. Hey it is nice to dream, even if it never comes to fruition.
So to all those in Trinidad enjoy your holiday today and those who are toiling away in “foreign” I will enjoy the beach and a bake and shark for you !!
8 comments:
ah would be lying if i didn't say dat ah jealous....i'm one of those who here toiling away in foreign...
make sure yuh put a piece ah pineapple on yuh bake an' shark fuh meh..... : (
Thanks a lot Saucy.
Us "toiling away in foreign" are already suffering from carnival tabanca, and ya juss rubbin; salt in we wounds!! LOL Enjoy ya holiday!!
Go ahead, Saucy. Rub it in..
sniff, sniff
I want some of dat mango chutney thing on my bake and shark, please! =) lol
well I not really "toiling" too much but ah could still do wit the long weekend!...an a good beach...an a bake an shark...might as well jes come back to trinidad an done...
Nuff love tuh all de Baptist on their day...My grandmother loved de song.."I HAVE AH SWORD IN MY HAND, HELP ME TUH USE IT WELL"
you can keep the shark - i just want de bake w/condiments lol
Since I don't work outside the home I never really have a holiday, but I won't say I'm toiling.
And since Spring has sprung, today I took my kids to the zoo, then we went to the pool and we ended the day roller blading.
So no beach for me but we had fun inwarm weather nonetheless.
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