An Insider’s Guide to Bermuda: The Sights, Sounds, and Smells of a Bermudian Christmas

This year’s highlights were gombey dancers and as always, Bacardi’s rum filled boat ride.

Sounds

Want a totally unique experience? How about Christmas carols with dolphins? This candle light event held at Dolphin Quest Bermuda at The Royal Naval Dockyard and entry is always free. It’s a one-of-a-kind event held only in Bermuda.

It wouldn’t be Christmas in Bermuda without the pantomime, sometimes called the ‘panto’. This is a British traditional play complete with songs, dancing, cross-dressing, slapstick humor, and topical jokes. It also encourages audience participation. This year’s panto is Sleeping Beauty and will be presented at The Daylesford Theatre in downtown Hamilton.

Sights

The Bi-annual Christmas Boat Parade is a Bermuda tradition. This event takes place inside Bermuda’s Hamilton Harbour, leaving from Fairmount Hamilton Princess and travels around White’s Island. This event brings out the exterior decorator in all seamen. This boat-decorating contest draws in crowds of thousands to the Hamilton waterfront. This year’s highlights were gombey dancers and as always, Bacardi’s rum filled boat ride.

This boat-decorating contest draws in crowds of thousands to the Hamilton waterfront

The Bermuda National Trust Walk-about in St. George’s is this author’s favorite way to get into the holiday spirit. This 400-year old town comes alive with sights and sounds of yesteryear. There are candlelight tours of private historical homes, caroling, and performances on every corner. Read all about it here: http://www.wanderingeducators.com/best/traveling/insider’s-guide-bermuda-st-george’s-christmas-walkabout.html

There are candlelight tours of private historical homes, caroling, and performances on every corner

Smells

‘Paw-Paw’ Casserole is a Bermuda Boxing Day Tradition. Paw-Paw is the unripe or green version of the fruit known as papaya. This fruit grows rampant all over Bermuda. I even have a paw-paw tree growing outside my kitchen window! When the papaya is still green and hasn’t ripened - that’s when you use it to make this dish. This dish is very similar to scalloped potatoes when prepared.

‘Paw-Paw’ Casserole Recipe:

2 cups of cheese, grated

6 cups of green paw-paw, diced

4 cups of tomatoes, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Cook diced paw paw in boiling water until tender. Place 3 cups of boiled paw paw and tomatoes in 9x11 casserole dish. Season with salt and pepper and cover with 1 cup of cheese, repeat layer until all ingredients are used. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Dig in and enjoy!

Special Kids section

The Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel hosts their Annual Teddy Bear Christmas Tea. This festive annual event runs daily for the month of December. Girls and boys are invited to partake in an afternoon spot of tea while helping a good cause. All children are asked to donate a teddy bear or other stuffed animal, which will be distributed to various charities across the island to families in need.

Lindsey Lehman is the Bermuda Editor for Wandering Educators

All photos courtesy and copyright Lindsey Lehman

This article was published in 2013 and updated in 2017