The Havensight Christmas Tree Lighting: St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands
The Holiday Season in the United States Virgin Islands (USVI) is indeed a joyous occasion. Family and friends gather together to have a great time. The delicious aroma of sweet bread, coconut tart, pineapple tart and guava tart serenade homes while baking in the oven. There are also a lot of Christmas parties and festivities to attend.
It may be a good idea to wear a pair of your most comfortable walking shoes because there will be a lot of walking at this event. We are heading to the Havensight Mall Christmas Tree Lighting in St. Thomas, USVI. The event was hosted by the West Indian Company Limited. This year, the theme was “Story Book Christmas” written by the students of Addelita Cancryn Junior High School and published by Project A. There was a plethora of entertainment including live music, live book readings, face paintings, local arts, crafts, delicious foods to eat and of course the Christmas Tree Lighting!
Hundreds of people attend this event every year. The best part is that there is entertainment for everyone of all ages! The Christmas Celebration is an all-day event. It began at 11:00 am and ends at 10:00 pm.
Some children eagerly lined up to meet Santa Claus, take a picture with him and received a gift! There was a Kiddie Christmas Village designed to keep children occupied with fun games and activities. This section was perfect for families!
For those of you who love to party, there were booths serving drinks, including the famous local alcoholic beverage Coquito. Optionally, virgin drinks were available for purchase as well.
Are you feeling hungry? Fantastic! There was a variety of local dishes was on the menu available for purchase! Vendors served up stuffing, potato salad, baked macaroni, rice and peas, vegetables, with the option of mutton, fish, stew baked or fried chicken. If that is too much food for your tummy, then you can order soup! A delicious bowl of Red Peas Soup, Goat Water, or Bull Foot Soup is sure to hit the spot.
Are you on the go? No problem, because there were quick popular combos such as a drink with a salt-fish pate or beef pate and of course fried fish and johnny cake. Now that you are full, it is time to go dancing!
Adults danced the night away to performances by bands such as Cool Session Brass, EBO Steel Owls, Flambo Combo, BCB Steel Band, IEKHS Choir and Jazz Ensemble, and the CAHS Choir and Jazz Ensemble.
All of the bands were awesome! They played beautifully, and it was fun to dance to their musical selections. The crowd was very entertained and clapped loudly at the end of each of their performances.
Afterwards, I walked around and saw booths that displayed arts and crafts designed by some of the most skilful artists in the Virgin Islands. Some of my favorites were Jolly Root & Culture that featured art made from natural materials such as bamboo, conch shells, calabash and coconut! Some of the items were carved sailboats, jewelry boxes, animals and much more. Similarly, the booth the Odd Worm sold calabashs with hand-carved designs on them.
JdNatlady’s Creations, LLC sold the most delicious scents in the forms of locally made soaps, lotions hair products. My favorite was the Lemon Grass Lotion. I put some in my hand, and it made my skin soft.
The Natural Depot vendor sold a variety of soaps, such as acai papaya, coconut, lavender lemongrass, peppermint tea, mango, orange lemongrass, orange hibiscus and moringa. Additional products include supplements, powders, and oils.
Athenia’s Jewerly sold locally made bracelets, rings, earrings and necklaces. All of the pieces were gorgeous and was created to accentuate any outfit.
Eventually, organizers of the event finally lit the Christmas Tree. The colorful bulbs that decorated the tree made it look beautiful and the star at the top shined brilliantly! People gathered around to take pictures of the tree and with it as well!
I had a wonderful time at this event! I ate delicious food, burned a few calories while dancing and had a chance to have a few pictures taken with the Christmas Tree! I had a blast!
Happy Holidays!
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