Photo by Trenton Jones on Unsplash
In St Vincent and the Grenadines, where the Nine Mornings Festival has just begun, the Christmas mood is palpable. “Keeping the Christmas Spirit Alive” is the festival’s theme this year. The Vincentian tradition of Nine Mornings is linked with the Christmas season. Vincentians wake up early nine mornings before Christmas to participate in a variety of activities, including sea baths, dances (or fetes in local vernacular), bicycle riding, and street music.
The origins of this celebration are shrouded in mystery, however, the ancient tradition links it to the Catholic Church’s “novena” during the nine days leading up to Christmas. It’s said that following the Catholics’ early morning church services, worshipers went for a walk in the streets, while others went for a swim in the sea. The renowned Nine Mornings festival sprang from this. Despite the common belief that this activity began during the era of slavery, it was more likely to have started after freedom.
The origins of this holiday are unknown, although it is said to be linked to the Catholic Church’s “novena” during the nine days preceding Christmas. Following early morning church services, worshippers are believed to have gone for a walk in the streets, while others went for a swim in the sea. The well-known Nine Mornings event arose as a result of this. Despite the popular assumption that this activity originated during the age of slavery, it was more likely to begin after the end of slavery.
The Tourism minister said: “This year has been a challenging one for us and it is this year we should really focus a lot more on the cultural component that recognizes having God at the center of Nine Mornings.”