6 days ago
5
For most, Christmas is about family, food, and togetherness, but for Miami-based, Jamaica-born dancehall star Starr Dawkins, it's about the "gifts" and the fun that comes with the holiday -- especially since she hasn't been able to celebrate with family in recent years.
"Christmas to me means gift - which is my love language, and right now I don't have a man, so Christmas just feels uuughh," she laughed.
"And I don't have kids, so I can't say, 'Oh, gifts for my kids.' But for the last three years, I've spent Christmas in Jamaica, and it's all about the nice outfits for my parties. Yuh know di young people now - wi waah party... Christmas is family, but as I get older, it's about partying, coming to Jamaica, and having a ball," Starr Dawkins explained.
She said that as an only child, her Christmases used to be spent with her cousins, but now they're all grown and off living their individual lives.
While she enjoys the holiday cheer in Jamaica, Starr Dawkins reflects on the difference between Christmas in the US and at home.
"Christmas in America is a little boring, maybe because I don't live in a snow type a place, because I don't like the cold. But Christmas in America is a little dull - they put up a tree in the mall, but it's not that vibe; yuh know, like in August Town [St Andrew] they have dat big [Christmas] tree in the middle and kids are playing their dominoes. In Portmore [St Catherine] there's music on every street, that is definitely not America," she said, while noting that "America is a place yuh gotta spend a lot a money to enjoy yourself, [whereas in] Jamaica, just the air gives you happiness," Dawkins expressed with a laugh.
The unique energy of a Jamaican Christmas is what she cherishes most. "It's just something in the energy here. I feel like when God created Jamaica, He said, 'Let there be vibes.' I travel a lot, and trust me, Jamaica is definitely one of my favourite places on earth. The Christmas tradition is rich, and because Jamaica doesn't celebrate Thanksgiving, the Christmas season feels extra special. People turn off their miserableness, and someone who normally wouldn't give you the time of day will say, 'Just because it's Christmas,'" Dawkins exclaimed with passion.
Reflecting on her younger years, Dawkins shared how she missed many Christmases at home while growing up.
"My parents were co-parenting, so I'd come to Jamaica in the summer, but not for Christmas," she said. "But there were a few Christmases I got to spend here as a child, and I remember dandy-shandy, stuffing the juice box with newspaper and playing dandy-shandy. If you were in Waterford [Portmore] on that ball field, baby, you know that was the vibe--everyone coming out with their new stuff, ice cream; it was just the vibe," she recalled with a smile.
"Christmas was everything as a kid in Jamaica. When I'm in America, it's just not the same. People go to the park, ride bikes, but the vibes aren't there. You could be in a big house with a fancy, decorated table, but it's not the same as being at the river with friends. You've got to appreciate being Jamaican and living in Jamaica, because even though it may not look lavish, the love and happiness are unmatched."
For Dawkins, Christmas wouldn't be complete without her favourite drink -- sorrel with rum -- and her go-to Christmas foods, "oxtail and rum-glazed rumcake".
Her best Christmas memory? A moment shared with her now ex-boyfriend, who didn't celebrate Christmas because of his impoverished upbringing. "He never had a Christmas gift," she said. "So, I decorated the house, bought gifts, hired a chef, and laid out the table with all his favourites. When he walked in, it was such a surprise, and it brought him to tears. I thought it might sound cheesy, but it was one of the best parts of Christmas: giving someone that moment."
English (US) ·