Christmas cheer sweeping the city

All across the Corporate Area, Jamaicans are ushering in the Yuletide season with joy, hope and a lot of Christmas lights.

While many buildings and public spaces have been decked with an array of pepper lights and holiday ornaments, some Jamaicans are making it clear the festivities are not just for the Corporate Jamaica. On Wednesday night, sisters Cheye Ann and Jodi Ann Meikle strutted their stuff in their Christmas pajamas in the middle of Cross Roads in St Andrew.

"We were just coming from a family Christmas photoshoot. We were hungry so we were just like, let's go to Pizza Hut to get something to eat," Jodi Ann said.

All striped and gleaming, the pair from Arnett Gardens told THE W EEKEND STAR that for them, the holidays are only about family.

Cheye Ann expounded, "So Christmas means family, food obviously. Everybody loves food during Christmas time, the entertainment and just spending time with your family enjoying the holiday season."

She continued, "What I would want for my family is, we're in a very sticky situation with housing right now. So I'd wish that the house that we're at right now, we actually get to own it in the future. So that's just the Christmas gift that I want."

Similarly, Windward Road resident Ricardo Lewis had no qualms about donning a particularly festive hat in New Kingston. Unlike the sisters, however, he said he sported his festive headwear because he lost a bet.

Standing on Knutsford Boulevard outside the Jamaica Public Service building, which looked like a wrapped present due to its light display, he told THE WEEKEND STAR, "It's actually a good gesture done by one of our co-workers, his name is Jordy. He actually handed out a hat to everyone today so we found it funny, so me and my co-worker went into a bet and she kinda finished her work before mine, so the loser has to wear the hat."

Though his hat glittered with green and gold tinsel, he said he was not embarrassed by the 'cheer' atop his head.

"So far I've been wearing it for five hours now, feels good. I'm okay with it," he said.

For 23-year-old Britney Hall, her Christmas began with the lighting of the tree in St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston on Tuesday. Beaming with pure joy, the Trench Town resident told THE WEEKEND STAR, "This is my first time actually, so me come here come enjoy miself. But it a gwaan with a bag of things. What attract is the excitement, the big tree, the sound and the decorations. So me just say make me pass by and now me a enjoy meself. Mi love the light and the bagga bagga!"

She said that although the Christmas spirit in public spaces has dwindled in the past few years, she is happy to have been present for the tree lighting.

"Nobody nah really feel the Christmas but, Christmas tree weh up inna the park, it a gwaan man, it a gwaan," she said.