Xmas and New Year’s

We’ve been lucky enough to spend Xmas and New Year’s in Bequia with a couple of other boats we’re friends with which has made it all that much more enjoyable and special.

Xmas Eve was spent celebrating Norwegian style as this is the day they would traditionally celebrate and exchange gifts with friends.  This we did aboard “Enata”, a very large catamaran which made it practical for 3 families to congregate and enjoy a traditional Norwegian dinner of pork. 

Xmas in Bequia is filled with Norwegian boats and has been referred to as “little Norway”.  We’ve seen very little of the Norwegian sailing community during our time so far, but for some reason here they all are, almost materialising out of thin air, Suddenly we find ourselves surrounded by almost 50 Norwegian boats who are all here for Xmas. 

It’s been great learning about Norwegian Xmas traditions which are surprisingly very different from our own.  For example, not only is Xmas celebrated on 24th December, but only Grandparents give gifts to children – not Santa!.  Who’d have though we’d learn so much about Norway here in the Caribbean.

On Xmas day itself we spent the morning on Skype with grandparents, opening presents and then enjoying a traditional Australian xmas:  a BBQ on the beach featuring the local delicacy, lobster!

After a couple of days to recover, it was time for us to then celebrate New Years which featured local fireworks out on the bay and with a number of boats setting off their expired flares as is the tradition.  There was reason for a little caution though:  our hosts Enata, told us that previously 2 boats had been set on fire when flares and fireworks landed amongst sails.  When the flares started flying around us, we watched carefully where they landed just in case we needed to be quick with a fire extinguisher.  One flare did in fact land on the deck of a power boat and burnt for a few seconds before the crew could knock it safely into the water.

Dinner on New Year’s was also very special.  Enata had been telling us that the best way to eat lobster was raw / sashimi style and so they prepared one lightly sautéed with soy and wasabi and another marinated in lime, chlli, garlick and basil.  When we first heard, we thought “urgh, cold jelly-like lobster tails”, but surprisingly they were delicious and and I have to agree that now having had lobster 5 different ways, these 2 are my favourite.