It’s that most wonderful time of the year, when the Christmas lights come out all over Cayman.
It’s one of the most festive places we have ever lived. It’s not just residential houses – the condos, hotels, shopping centers and even the radio tower are all lit up The roudabouts, too, are covered in holiday lights that stay on all through the night.
Most viistors already know about the two major light fests that draw hundreds of viewers each night, the Bodden home in South Sound and the Crighton property in Prospect. These two families have massive displays of lights, dioramas and decorations. We have a hunch Santa spends the off season here. One of our favorite experiences is watching the young kids wandering the grounds of these two properties mesmerized by the lights and anticipation of Christmas magic.
In years past, the power company had a competition for best decorated house, hotel and business. It was quite an honor to win this title. These days, the National Trust runs night time tour buses, picking out the highlights of each year’s decorations. Other Christmas traditions in Cayman include freshening the yard with new sand, painting the house, butchering beef, and making sorrel.
The light show continues on New Year’s even with displays of fireworks island wide. The most popular show is at the Ritz. Many people gather on the beach nearby to watch the fireworks that the hotel provides for its guests. Perhaps the best view of the evening, thou, is from West Bay dock. From there you can see the entire stretch of Seven Mile Beach, with fireworks going off all up and down the shoreline. It’s a great way to end the old and start the new year.
Happy New Year and best wishes for 2013!