Christmas+Customs+from+the+Virgin+Islands

=**The purpose of this page is to identify various**= =**Christmas customs from the** **Virgin Islands. (Green)**= = = = = ==**Johnny cakes take their name from 'journey cakes,' as they are an unleavened bread made to last a long time without souring or spoiling. Today's versions do contain a little leavening, such as baking powder, but remain true to the non-yeast risen category of baked goods. flour, cornmeal or a combination of these two grains form the Johnny cake dough. Other ingredients include baking powder, salt, sugar, milk or water and oil. This dough is rolled into disks and deep-fat fried. (Chloe)**==

==**The official local Christmas Festival today extends for a whole month, from early December to a climax of the Three Kings Day parade at the end of the first week of January. But preparations for the celebrations and elaborate parade costumes begin months ahead. Similar to the late April Carnival in St. Thomas and to a lesser degree the St. John festivities around the 4th of July, a pattern of activities fills the calendar. (Grace)**==

==**If you insist that Christmas is defined by a snowy landscape with Santa Claus, sled and reindeer, and warming yourself by a blazing fireplace, our tropical Christmas may disappoint you. Admittedly, local traditions have had to yield Santa a place in our tropical celebration of Christianity's major holiday. (Olivia)**== ==**Tradition plays a large role in the Virgin Islands, and back in former days of slavery, Christmas and Easter were the only times the enslaved population were given time off. That called for celebration, which consisted of dressing up in costumes masquerading and making calls at other plantations, where dancing and merrymaking marked. (Jessica)**==