by James Johnson

Created on: November 20, 2009

News Years Day is the one holiday celebrated all around the world. Of course it is not always celebrated on the same day, and is definitely not celebrated in the same way! Each country seems to have developed certain traditions and celebrations for bringing in the New Year. Nevis in the Eastern Caribbean has some of its own!

For starters, New Year's is a reasonably quiet day. Some head over to St. Kitts for the middle part of Carnival, it actually ends on January 2nd. They usually catch the afternoon ferry back to Nevis and then everybody takes a nap. Nevis is quiet and dead as far as most tourists can tell, but when the sun goes down, the people start to come out!

Everyone heads out to dinner and the restaurants become packed. Lots of noise and drinks, with everyone chatting about what happened during the past year. That seems to be the topic at the roadside stands all the way up to the high class, fine ding at places such as Nisbet Plantation. Then around 11:00 everybody, and this means everybody, goes to Pinney's Beach for rum, champagne and fireworks. Just after Pinney's, everyone moves over to Oualie! Now the New Year starts.

There is first, church until around 1:00 a.m., then it is back to the bars for a few more drinks. At around 2:00 you go home get a few hours sleep and then rush to Charlestown to catch the Ferry to St. Kitts, it leaves at 7:00 and 7:30. You are trying to catch the morning parade in Basseterre. After that, you head back to Nevis. Those that don't make the ferries, seats are limited go get some breakfast and something to drink, usually with rum.

At 1:00 p.m. you go to friends houses for about an hour to drink the traditional drink, sorrel (frequently diluted with rum) and have some sandwiches just before heading to the horse races at 3:00. At the races you will eat chicken legs, goat water, and conche (a local pastry), bet on horses, and if you have kids, fly a kite! Of course during the races your throat will get dry, so everybody drinks either beer or more sorrel mixed with, you got it, rum.

What is ironic is that with all the drinking, few people actually get drunk and there is a lot of time spent with family and friends. But that is Nevis, it's most important tradition is celebrating and spending time with family and friends!

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