Streetside pixie electrifies Parade Gardens

As Jamaicans marked the Christmas public holiday on Monday, there was no better way to continue celebrating the season for some residents of Parade Gardens in central Kingston than with friends, who they say are like family.

In the spirit of the festive season, the ‘Balancing Family – as they have dubbed themselves – held their annual Christmas cook-out on Monday.

For the group, this year’s staging of their more than a decade-old tradition included the addition of a freshly cut, decorated Christmas tree that adorned the pavement with many gifts underneath. The presents were part of a pixie gift-exchange experience and a new addition to the community celebration.

The tree was donated by Andrew Azar, managing director of LP Azar, to whom the locals expressed their gratitude.

“Him really help the community, me nah lie. Him good to we,” Sharon Gapoor told The Gleaner, adding that Azar also hosted a Christmas treat in the community last Friday.

Community harmony

The holiday season, according to Gapoor, is a time for friends and relatives to come together, maintain community harmony, and enjoy each other’s company.

“Everybody love it. All people weh pass in a dem car say, ‘OMG (oh, my God)! How this so pretty?’ Everybody love it,” she said of the tree. ‘“If you see it in [the] night-time ... it pretty, and the people dem around the community come and tek picture.”

Gapoor, who does all the cooking for the group of friends during this time, noted that even if she is overseas in the days leading up to Christmas, she would make an effort to return to Jamaica just to take part in the event.

Residents would also dress in their Christmas pyjama sets later in the night as they enjoy food and drinks while having fun, including playing games.

Franklyn Roberts noted that joy and happiness “is a must”, and it has now become the norm for them to pool funds to decorate the streets with pepper lights, wrapping them around the light posts and stringing them along walls.

He added that the occasional crime would not deter them from keeping the event.

“We just know say we a put ourself at joy; nuh bad vibes,” Roberts said.

“We a hope say dem (rest of the community) follow and take a page out a we book and try to be at one,” Gapoor added.

asha.wilks@gleanerjm.com