Trinidad and Tobago nationals abroad all agree : ‘Trini Christmas is the best’

Across continents and time zones, Trinidad and Tobago nationals are creatively preserving their distinctive Christmas traditions while embracing new cultural experiences in their adopted homelands. From the snow-covered landscapes of Switzerland to the vibrant markets of Germany, these expatriates demonstrate remarkable cultural adaptability while maintaining deep connections to their Caribbean roots.

In Bern, Switzerland, 26-year-old De Avion Daniel from Chaguanas has established blended holiday traditions that honor both her Trinidadian heritage and Swiss surroundings. While embracing European customs like Christmas markets, Glühwein, and skiing, Daniel maintains essential Trinbago rituals including cooking traditional dishes, preparing sorrel, and playing parang music. “No matter how far I am, a little Trini Christmas always follows me,” she reflects, noting how these practices help her daughter remain connected to their cultural origins.

Similarly, Tyreka Russell in Duisburg, Germany has established a unique Christmas celebration with her cousin in Brussels that harmoniously combines Trinidadian and European elements. Their holiday features traditional cooking sessions accompanied by soca parang alongside visits to Christmas markets and the use of Advent calendars. This cultural synthesis has evolved into their own distinctive holiday tradition that bridges geographical divides.

For older expatriates like 58-year-old Catherine Andrews in The Gambia, Christmas remains deeply connected to musical traditions. A former member of the House of Marketing Universal Parang Group, Andrews now introduces Gambian friends to both traditional parang and its modern variations like parang soca and chutney parang, while also preparing classic Trinidadian foods.

The challenge of maintaining traditions proves more difficult in some locations. Alex Nedd, dividing his time between Tobago and Ankara, Turkey, finds Christmas particularly challenging in the predominantly Muslim country where familiar ingredients like sorrel and ginger beer remain inaccessible. Despite these obstacles, he continues to celebrate with a Christmas tree and music, though acknowledging “it is nothing near to a Trini Christmas.

These global citizens demonstrate remarkable resilience in preserving their cultural identity through food, music, and ritual. Whether through care packages containing black cake and ponche de crème, virtual connections via WhatsApp calls, or introducing local friends to Trinidadian traditions, they maintain what Henrietta Phoebe Pereira in Turks and Caicos describes as that “unwavering connection to home” that defines the Trinidadian Christmas spirit across international boundaries.