On Well Wishing

The holidays have officially come and gone and after having experienced my very first Christmas in Bermuda I’ve compiled a few observations. Hey, Dominique Smith in France, listen up, because this one’s for you. It’s no secret that Bermuda is a Christian country—after all, it still flies the Union Jack on its flag. But being from the oh-so-politically-correct United States of America, I was particularly surprised—and quite frankly, delighted—at the frequent use of the words Merry Christmas here in Bermuda. Everyone wished me a “Merry Christmas,” not the religion-neutral “Happy Holidays” that you’d get in any typical American setting. It was Merry Christmas, every day, all the time. Now don’t get me wrong, I mean no disrespect to my Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters out there—and of course the good folks lighting up Kwanzaa candles—but there’s something to be said for an entire nation of people being in the Christmas spirit. Even Bermuda’s Premier, the Honorable Dr. Ewart Brown and Governor Sir Richard Gozney invoked biblical passages in their Christmas messages to the public, which were published in the Royal Gazette last week. Both ended in jubilant Merry Christmas wishes. The same could be said of the thousands of ex-pats that celebrated the holiday on Elbow Beach—without a doubt the biggest and most tropical Christmas party I’ve ever been to (see above). Nearly everyone I encountered on the beach wished me a Merry Christmas, or in the case of the Brits I came across, a Happy Christmas, which is something I’ve never quite understood but festive nonetheless. I can say with all certainty that I’ve never used the term in public more. And I think that’s a good thing. So Dominique from France, the next time you decide to cook a cassava pie just say the word. I’ll be there with bells on. Christmas bells, that is.