You can roast chestnuts on an open fire on Christmas in the Bahamas, but they will be roasted on a fire on the beach not over a fireplace. You can also make a snowman, but one with warm sand instead of cold snow. Christmas in the Bahamas may not be cold and snowy, but it is delightful. Visitors will find an abundance of things to do in the Bahamas during this festive season, including all the traditional activities as well as some that are unique to these islands.
If you're planning your winter holiday in the Bahamas, you'll find as many decorative trees, joyful carolers, and toy-giving Santas here as you do anywhere else in the world. However, the trees will be tropical, and Santa may be wearing shorts. Indeed, in many ways, Bahamians celebrate the season the same way Americans, Canadians, and Europeans do. The preparation of special meals is a customary way of enjoying the holiday everywhere, and the Bahamas are no different. While Christmas dinner here may look like a traditional American feast, locally-grown foods such as plantains and coconuts are used to give turkeys and hams a more authentically Caribbean taste. Instead of eggnog, ginger beer and rum are seasonal favorites. Christmas lovers will not miss their cherished activities if they choose to spend their holiday here.
However, the highlight of the season is a twelve-day carnival named Junkanoo, and it is a very different tradition from the ones found in colder climates. One of the most exhilarating things to do in the Bahamas this time of year is attend and participate in a Junkanoo parade. Legend has it that Junkanoo started when a slave owner named John Canoe decided to give his slaves a few days off to celebrate Christmas. In his honor, the slaves named the festival after him. The carnival starts on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, and lasts through New Year's Day. Parades of masked troupes take place on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day from about 2 a.m. until dawn during Junkanoo. The troupes traditionally represent different tribes and perform dance routines in costume for which they are judged. Preparation for competition in the parade can take months. Junkanoo is the definitive Christmas experience in the Bahamas.
While Junkanoo is the hallmark of the season, there are plenty of other e Bahamas tours to do at this time of year. The average temperature in December is a mild 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so the excessive heat of the summer months is not a concern for Christmas travelers. Temperate days and cool nights are ideal for experiencing all that the Bahamas offer. If vacationers are not too tired from the jubilance of Junkanoo, activities such as scuba diving, golfing, fishing, and shopping await the more energetic, and a visit to one of the many historical attractions such as the National Art Gallery can, along with Junkanoo, make a trip to the Bahamas this time of year a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
