Madelyn Davis

 03/21/21

Cultural Connections in The Bahamas

     Hello everyone and welcome back to "The Maddy Files." Today we will be discussing the various cultures in The Bahamas and why they are so influential. To give you all the scoop on Bahamian culture, I will be talking about various foods, activities, and vernacular that are packed into this island. We have previously talked about these subjects in previous blogs, but we did not go into full detail about their conch foods and carnivals. Although this is Bahamian culture, some European influences will be incorporated as well. 

     The first topic that we will discuss is the various celebrations and heritage of Bahamian culture. When it comes to visiting certain islands, locals try to avoid tourists but that does not apply to The Bahamas whatsoever. The locals will not hesitate to give you a lift to the hottest tourist attraction or beach. Bahamians are always eager to show anyone who visits the island why it is so magical; you'd never want to leave. Places that you can visit that explain the history and culture of The Bahamas are the Colombus Monument, the Adderly Plantation, Long Island Medium, and Dean's Blue Hole. The locals will also be more than happy to teach tourists about bush medicine, which has been practiced on the island for years. Now that we have discussed the hot spots for exploring Bahamian heritage, we can discuss one of the biggest cultural festivals of all time. Every year, The Bahamas host a big event called the Junkanoo Festival. This celebration consists of a mass number of people dressing up in colorful costumes and headdresses; they also gather in the streets of the island and dance to Bahamian music. This celebration takes place every New Years Day and Boxing Day. 

Junkanoo Festival Dancers

  

The last thing that we will discuss regarding Bahamian culture is their foods. On this island, you will find an abundant amount of seafood, fruit, shellfish, and traditional sides. For example, the conch is a local staple and national dish of The Bahamas. The conch is chewy and textured meat that comes from a sea snail; Bahamians use conch in various foods such as soup, pizza, salad, fritters, and rum. It is highly recommended that every tourist tries at least one conch dish during their stay in the Bahamas. If you would like to try something sweet, grab yourself a slice of Johnny Cake. This can be eaten as a side dish or a little snack; this dense bread is best served in pieces that are shaped like wedges. This treat is said to have been created by indigenous people and brought to the Bahamas during the North-Atlantic slave trade. Speaking of sweet treats, guava duff is a spongy cake that is made with diced guava and dough to make a cute swirl on the inside of the cake; it is also covered in a sweet butter rum sauce to complete the dessert. 

Guava Duff

Conch Fritters

To conclude this vlog, if I hadn't sold you on the idea of visiting The Bahamas already then I hope that this blog post will. Not only will you fall in love with the ethereal scenery, but you will be stoked to learn about the cultural practices and history of this breathtaking island. 

Feel free to check out these videos on Bahamian culture as well: 

“Bahamian Dishes: Top 10 Bahamian Culture Food To Try.” YouTube, YouTube, 10 Nov. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=y20dLxxBjjU.

“A Super Quick History of The Bahamas.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 June 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc_ylH173PE.

Sources:

McLeod, Sheri-kae. “11 Reasons Why You Should Visit the Bahamas.” Culture Trip, The Culture Trip, 25 Oct. 2017, theculturetrip.com/caribbean/the-bahamas/articles/11-reasons-why-you-should-visit-the-bahamas/.

Sturrup, Nya. “8 Traditional Bahamian Dishes to Get a Taste of the Islands.” Matador Network, 6 May 2019, matadornetwork.com/read/traditional-bahamian-dishes/.

“The Bahamas' Out Island Culture.” Bahamas Culture | The Out Islands of The Bahamas, www.myoutislands.com/bahamas-resorts/culture.