"If you come down in December, get ready to hear that greeting many times. In addition, get ready to hear that timeless story about the man whose birth changed, and saved, our world."
Don't come down to the Caribbean if you are an atheist, statist or snowflake.The people down here are the real McCoy. And for some reason, they seem to get it right. Their standard of living? Depends how you measure. Wealth? Poor compared to ours. Joy in their hearts? Off the charts.
While on our cruise, we toured of Antigua, part of the Leeward Islands. We took a tour, and received a very good feel on how this island works. Just like when we toured Eleuthera, the people are not shy about their Christian faith, nor the time of year this is. Yes, with Christmas right around the corner, everyone is in the Christmas spirit. No "Happy Holidays", "Happy "Kwanzaa" (which is odd, since many of the locals have African roots), and no "Happy Solstice". No, the people here are hard core Christians, and proud of it.
The schools? If there are any snowflakes reading this, hold on. Every school day starts with 20 minutes of prayer. Only in the church schools, right? Nope - all schools. Not only do the kids pray, but they also wear uniforms. AND - the school masters have the permission, and the right, to practice corporal punishment, if needed.
I love this one. Schools start at age two. Yes, two years old. Why? Quote - "Kids are like sponges. They learn just fine at two". At 16 1/2, the kids are done with high school and ready for college or some kind of advanced learning. Money is available from different scholarship sources. If the kids go to college in another country, once they graduate, they come back home to work.
Part of this island nation (Barbuda), was hit hard by two of the hurricanes. Antigua had some damage, but for the most part, dodged the bullet. The locals give credit to lots and lots of prayer. Barbuda has a population of 1,600. Not one person died. They all fled to Antigua, and were but up in homes by the population. No questions asked.
So, Merry Christmas from the Caribbean. If you are uncomfortable in saying that greeting, and still want to visit down here, I would suggest any time after January 1st. If you come down in December, get ready to hear that greeting many times. In addition, get ready to hear that timeless story about the man whose birth changed, and saved, our world.
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