It’s fish and bun time - Jamaicans prepare for Easter eatings

For most Jamaican vendors and buyers at the Old Harbour Bay Fishing Village in St Catherine, the Easter holiday weekend will be spent with their family dining on the traditional culinary cravings of bun and cheese and fish.

Although the prices on fish have gone up somewhat significantly as a result of the increase in fuel cost, there were many who said they could not afford to miss out on their traditional Easter practices.

There were others who said they will not forego the spiritual history of the holiday period and will look to infuse their religious practices with its culture. One such person is Blossom Grant, a housewife and frequent shopper at the fishing village, who also lives in the parish.

"For me, l go church on Good Friday and when mi come home, mi start do me thing, like fry up mi sprat and eat it wid bread. Then later mi do a big cooking for the family," she said.

Like many others, Grant said the consumption of fish during Easter is an important practice, as she believes it follows a trend dating back to Jesus' time on earth.

"This thing is traditional, enuh; even if the fish expensive, people a guh buy it. Eating fish during Easter a come from the days when Jesus and his disciple dem siddung and break bread," she added.

Her sentiments were echoed by Jason Bailey, 62, who has been a fisherman all his life. He said the fishing village is always abuzz with buyers, although the prices on fish tend to go up during the holidays.

"The demands no really change, enuh. Every year is the same as it relates to buyers coming here to buy fish. But it shows say people tek dem fish thing serious because inna Easter, di fish dem have mating season, so dem scarce. Because of this, the prices dem affi raise in order fi di fisherman eat a food," he said.

Bailey also lamented the impact of high fuel prices on the fishing business, which he said is passed down to the consumers.

"Fuss time, yuh could a tek one $5,000 gaah sea, but right now yuh cyah do that again. If yuh no have at least a $8,000 fi put gas inna di engine, yuh can nuh bother think of going anywhere. Plus, when yuh think 'bout the fish net dem and di money weh yuh use fi buy di wire and board, yuh affi raise the price of the fish," said the veteran fisherman.

According to Javon Davis, 27, he has worked a niche for himself in scraping fish at the market, especially during the holiday period when the demand for fish increases. The father of two, who also claims to be an aspiring recording artiste, said he is expecting a busy week at the fishing village, following a dull two years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Di place just open back, enuh, so mi nuh expect everybody fi come out and buy. But since yesterday (Monday), mi a see a lot of people a come out to buy fish," he said.

Davis, who observed that snapper and parrot have been the preferred choice for most vendors, said he believes that many people no longer value the spirit of reverence that comes with the holiday.

"Mi grow up come see people a run fi fish during Easter because, yuh dun know, pon Good Friday dem say Jesus break bread wid him disciples, and a fish dem eat wid it. So mi think through Jesus do that, people just decide fi celebrate Easter like that.

"But it's not like one time, yuh know. l don't think people have the same reverence like one time, 'cause me see more people a go party than going to church during the Easter inna my community. Most a di young people dem don't even know anything about the Resurrection story, but l guess this is how things have changed over time," he said.