Barbados Local Customs

  Oistens New fish fry night area
by joanj
 
  • Oistens New fish fry night area
      Oistens New fish fry night area
    by joanj
  • Oistens vendors huts on main thoroughfare
      Oistens vendors huts on main...
    by joanj
  • seating area for fish fry
      seating area for fish fry
    by joanj
  • Area at the fish fry for the Very loud music
      Area at the fish fry for the Very loud...
    by joanj
  •   Local Customs
    by henri123
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Indigenous to Barbados - Road Tennis

by joanj

This sport of Road Tennis is a sport they call their own.The game started as far back as the 1930's in the parish of St. Michael, and has often been referred to as the "poor man's tennis".Equipment is very basic, consisting of two pieces of wood,an old tennis ball, and the court chalked out on the ground on the road. Once when we were on a country road in the moke we hired, we came across some young boys playing the game, and we stopped so they could finish the "set". It was facinating to watch them have so much fun with such basic tools.The Professional Road Tennis Association (PRTA) was formed in 2000 and is based in Barbados.(Dale Clarke is the President). The Association is determed to improve the standard of play and to spread the gospel of road tennis all over the globe.Visitors can learn more about road tennis and participate in holiday coaching clinics organized by the PRTA....

Bajan National Dish

by joanj

A Bajan national dish is Cou-cou and salt fish. Cou-cou is a cornmeal and okra pudding. It is ladled with gravy and served with a salt fish stew. Cou-cou in the making is a wonderful sight to see and a challenge, much energy is put into the stirring, for if any lumps are allowed to form, it is considered a failure. The finished mixture is packed into a bowl, and then turned out on to a plate. The centre of the mound is sunk with a spoon and a light gravy ladled into the centre and around the golden mound. II have eaten this dish, and it is lovely, I have also had a friend make cou-cou for me, and can tell you it looks like hard work. There is a special little wooden stick called a cou-cou stick, that is the traditional tool for stirring the cou-cou.Also a national dish is flying fish and cou-cou.That too is delicious, and when I visit a friend she sometimes cooks this for me. If not the...

Saturday tradition

by joanj

Bajan tradition is for "pudding and souse" - an old island dish still made everywhere, and served on Saturdays.The pudding is made from grated and well-seasoned sweet potato, which is stuffed into the cleaned pig's intestines called "belly" which is then steamed. The cooked pudding looks like a long dark sausage. This is cut into clices and served with the "souse" - pig's head ,feet and flesh cooked until tender, cut into slices and "soused" or pickled with lime juice, onion, hot and sweet peppers, salt , finely chopped cucumber and parsley. I cannot tell you what it tastes like, because when I was offered it, and asked what the dish contained, I politely declined!. If anyone has tried it, please let me know !! Shall be interested.

Holetown Festival - St. James Parish

by joanj

Here in February the Holetown Festival takes place, commemorating the first settlers landing in 1627. There is a week of special performances, which ends with a two day street fair.There are many stalls - craft, art, local food, -a Tuk Band usually makes an appearance, Visitors and locals alike have a wonderful time.

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Independence Day

by joanj

Independence Day - November 30th, is celebrated by the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts.There are competitions in dance, drama, song, paintings, writing and other art forms.

Crop Over

by joanj

There are four major festivals on the Barbados calendar and the largest and the longest is CROP OVER. This is a revival of the traditional celebration of the sugar cane harvest. It is a season for the Decorated Cart Parade, the Calypso Monarch Competition, numerous neighbourhead parties, and culminates on Kadooment Day with costumed revelry and parades from early morning till late at night.Unfortunately I have no photo to share with you, as I am never on the Island during Crop Over. - mores the pity !

Immigration Fees

by luke850

When you leave Barbados it is important to remember that you will have to pay an immigration fee of 25 BDS per person if you want to get out. You cannot leave the island without paying, so remember to budget for this.

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Bajan People

by luke850

People in Barbados call themselves Bajan, so the peole in general are called Bajans. The people on the island are generally very friendly, and will wave or say 'hello' as you pass by. It is well received if you wave back or say 'hello' to them. Many of the locals will be more than happy to chat with you over a beer or glass of rum, and it is an excellent way of getting an insight into what life is like over there.

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Begging?

by luke850

On the beaches of Barbados there are a number of locals who think that instead of actually working for a living, they can just sponge off tourists. These people don't see what they do as begging, but actually believe that visitors to the island should give them something for nothing. You will be able to spot these people as they wander up and down the beaches, looking for people they think will give them something. If you give them one thing, say a cigarette, they won't leave you alone until they've got a lot more. The most annoying thing about this is that these people are clearly not homeless or particularly poor, they just want something for nothing. The actual homeless/poor people do not tend to ask for anything.

Chattel Houses

by grandmaR

Chattel houses are a unique part of the Bajan landscape.The name chattel was confusing to me, but the word "chattel" comes from the English common law. It refers to personal property as distinguished from real property (land as in real estate). Plantation workers on the sugar cane plantations had houses that could be disassembled and put up again in another place. The foundations were of loose stone. This was because the workers did not own the land that the houses were built on. In the event of being fired or some other dispute they could be moved to another place. The houses are usually small and brightly colored and have a steep gable roof with short eaves, constructed of corrugated iron. This is to prevent the wind getting under the edge of a flat roof and lifting it off. Chattel houses often have jalousie windows (very popular in the tropics) which may have wooden slats and three...

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Local traditions and culture in Barbados

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Local Customs: Cities in Barbados
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Saint Michael Local Customs  Christ Church Local Customs  Saint Joseph Local Customs  Saint James Local Customs 

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Questions and Answers

windymilleroonie profile photo

Q:  Has anyone used Drive Barbados for car hire? They have quite reasonable rates but can't find any reviews anywhere and aren't... 

grandmaR profile photo

A: We had a car in Barbados but it was from Top Hat. Keep in mind that you have to get a Bajan license and that will be extra. Depending on the season you go, I wouldn't... 

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