Daily Archives: April 15, 2017

Back in the Caribbean Easter is a very festive but sacred time of year. There are many Christian celebrations to commemorate the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is also the time that people dedicate themselves to fasting and prayer for faith renewal.

As we celebrate Easter 2017 it is important that as followers of Jesus Christ we recognize the impartation of spiritual power that is available to us through His death, burial and resurrection. If we are open to receive this spiritual power, it can give us the courage and the fortitude to hold our heads high here is this country (our new homeland) to lead our families to reach great heights and not lose touch with the importance of God in our lives. It can encourage us to continue to participate in a broken political system that is now blaming immigrants for many of the problems in America.

Will you walk out of your place of worship this Easter Sunday with a renewed mind that models a Christ-like spirit? Do you believe you already have the power to overcome the pain that results from unfair treatment because of your Caribbean heritage? Do you believe you now have the power to encourage your child who is being bullied at school because of his or her accent? Will you use your power in a nonviolent way and rise above lifes challenges? Will you heed your call to help another person in need starting right here in the United States or will you continue on the path of me, myself and I?

Easter is also a time when Caribbean people spend time with their family and friends by engaging in traditional activities. Regardless of the fact that island activities vary, many of them take place at the beach. In St. Vincent & the Grenadines, for example, some people may participate or be a spectator to the Bequia Easter Regatta. The Bequia Easter Regatta is a sailboat race wherein participants attempt to create perfect harmony with boat, wind and sail. There is also beach activities for the spectators.

In Grenada, holy week celebrations include Semana Santa. This unique celebration is associated with the floats of thrones involving historical religious icons. For example, there is the procession of El Silencio and El Cristo de los Gitanos. In Trinidad and Tobago there are observances on Good Friday, Glorious Saturday, Easter Sunday, followed by Easter Monday. Easter Monday is usually the Buccoo goat and blue crab races. It is said that this is a time when participants can play with their food before eating it. Blue crabs are placed on a straight line drawn in the beach sand. Participants get very excited as they cheer their blue crabs on to the finish line. After the poor creatures have completed this final task they end up on their coachs plates as a yummy meal.

While we reminisce about traditions in our island homelands, many of you may not have the luxury of a weekday off during the Easter season. However, most people do have the weekend off! Take the time to teach your children about the reason why we celebrate Easter. It is not all about the new clothes, Easter baskets and the Easter Bunny. Go to church. Instill the Caribbean culture in them. Teach them traditions. Make a quick run to the Caribbean market and treat them to some bun and cheese or hot cross buns. Escovitch some red snappers so that they can enjoy the traditional foods. It will perk you up and temporarily fill the void that homesickness brings.

This Easter let us go beyond the norm and connect with those individuals who are engaged in service to others following the examples of Jesus Christ. As we tell our Sunday School Students, Be Jesus Followers.

Upcoming events

Team Jamaica Bickle: Penn Relays are April 26-29. The Team Jamaica Bickle organization provides support for athletes from different parts of the Caribbean. The Philadelphia Organizing Committee invites you to the 23rd Annual Fundraising Reception and awards ceremony on Thursday at the PECO Energy Building located at 2301 Market St. from 6-9 p.m.

Our Athletes, Our Ambassadors: There is also a Community Forum that will take place on Thursday, April 27 at Calvary Baptist Church located at 6122 Haverford Ave. The Rev. Garth Gittens is the pastor.

Continue reading here:

Time to reminisce about distinctly Caribbean Easter traditions - The Philadelphia Tribune

Melanie Reffes, Special for USA TODAY 1:09 p.m. ET April 14, 2017

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At Sandals Royal Caribbean, villas built over the water come with butlers.(Photo: Sandals Resorts)

All travelers dream big, but only a handful can truly afford a six-figure vacation. With its world-class beaches, resorts and villas that exude exclusivity, the Caribbean is the primo perch for one-percenters who pay top dollar for privacy, plenty of space and top-shelf spoil-you-rotten amenities. Check out our big-bucks bucket list.

Posh pedigree

Its not that easy to get to and can be pricey once you arrive, but the allure of Nevis is worth the effort. Skip the hordes on some of the other islands and head instead to the sombrero-shaped isle across the channel from St. Kitts. Anchored by a volcanic mountain, the petite enclave 7 miles by 6 miles is where jet-setting urban dwellers shell out big bucks to lie low in the lap of luxury. The birthplace of Alexander Hamilton also lures the moneyed like Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres and Oprah.Start with a grand entrance at the Yu Lounge at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in St. Kitts, where for $200 you are picked up on the tarmac, expedited through immigration, poured a glass of chilled bubbly and driven to the pier for the short boat ride to Nevis. The top pick of the wealthiest one percent, AAA Five Diamond Four Seasons Nevis is swank-central with suites, villas and Beach Houses that are really houses on the beach, although no overnighting allowed (yes, naps are encouraged). The cabanas fronting Pinneys Beach have Wi-Fi, televisions, power outlets, servers delivering $20 Volcano Burgers with crispy hot peppers and $36 pitchers of pomegranate margaritas. Daily rates run $550, more than double during the December holidays. Go the distance with a Four Hands Massage ($320 for 80 minutes) and dinner at Coral Gardens, where South African chef Jason Baker raises the stakes with a 32-ounce $100 Porterhouse and a side mac and cheese gussied up with truffle oil. The priciest villa at the resort is also the priciest stay on the island. Packed with panache, the five-bedroom , five-bathroom 3,400-square-foot Monkey Business Villa is designed with funky animal-themed dcor, palatial pool, elegant dining area, a massive wraparound terrace and telescope to zoom in on the fabulous views of Nevis Peak.It also comes with a chef, and a Villa Ambassador (aka butler). Spoiler alert: Nightly rates run $14,000 with no seasonal adjustment.

A few minutes from the Four Seasons and with a name that says it all, Paradise Villas on Paradise Beach are a manicured collection of seven multi-bedroom villas each with pools and mesmerizing views. The four-bedroom stunner goes for $2,800 nightly.$950 buys a day on a sloop named Feisty with Captain Miles Denne at the helm. With pick-up at Oualie Beach and the pier at the Four Seasons, sunset sails priced at $550 are a big hit with newlyweds. Couples register for a cruise which is a far more appreciated wedding gift than a tea kettle, says Captain Miles.

Skys the limit

All you need is five days away from the office, 10 pals and $250,000 (yes, thats a quarter of a million dollars) to live like royalty in the Blue Diamond Villa at Altamer on the southwest tip of Anguilla. A super villa designed by architect Myron Goldfinger, whose work has been exhibited in New Yorks Museum of Modern Art, the 13,000-square-foot five-bedroom villa is the newest of three Altamer villas, all striking with a geometric, stark white exterior. Designed to look like a flower, creature comforts include meditation and massage rooms and a big outdoor tub that can host the whole gang at once.Upping the ante, theres a pool, butler and yacht sails to St. Barts to sun on Nikki Beach.The outdoorsy play golf and tennis and for gamblers, staff set up a casino night. Perfect the fine art of chilling out with massages, breakfast in bed and cooking lessons with the chef.

If a resort stay is more your speed, check into a Beachfront Junior Suite at The Reef on Merrywing Bay Beach. Nightly rates start at $1,800 through April and $750 during the less-busy months.For a large brood, Beachfront Family suites at $1,500 nightly fit the bill. Rates include breakfast made healthy with the herbs and vegetables from the hydroponic garden at the next-door sister property CuisinArt Resort & Spa. Splurge for a Couples Rendezvous massage at the Venus Spa for $480 and a bottle of Veuve Cliquot and tuna poke at Breezes Beachfront Restaurant.

Also on the moneyed radar, Jonquil Suite at Cap Juluca goes for $5,865 per night through April, $3,285 in May and $2,620 during the summer, and comes with an oceanfront dining terrace, freshwater pool and marble Jacuzzi. Treat yourself to a $2,700 bottle of 1994 Ptrus (French red considered by many as the best in the world), dinner on the beach ($150 pour deux), Green Tea and Ginger Sea Enzyme Wrap ($205) and a half-day on the Juluca Pride yacht ($700 for four guests).Partnered with many of the islands high-end resorts and villas, Tradewind flies from the U.S. in light jets that comfortably seat four to six big spenders. One-way fares from New York start at $25,000.

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Princely and pricey

The holy grail of extravagance, Jamaicas Round Hill is where Prince Harry and his regal entourage camped out in March to celebrate a friends wedding. Eight miles west ofMontego Bay, the storied hotel was built in 1953 and has long hosted discerning guests like John F. Kennedy, who penned his famous "ask not what you can do for your country" inauguration address in Villa 25. Spy novel writer Ian Fleming preferred Villa 3, and superstars Beyonc , Sir Paul McCartney and other A-list names have checked into the posh retreat. Smartly designed by Ralph Lauren, who owns two of the 27 villas, the top of the line is Villa 20 with six bedrooms, eight bathrooms and two pools. Nightly rates for the Instagram-ready lodging start at$8,539 through April 15, and $4,569 from April 16 - October. The natural setting on a private peninsula allows for exquisite privacy, said Josef Forstmayr, Round Hills managing director.

At Sandals Royal Caribbean, villas built over the water come with butlers and nightly rates starting at $2,870. Add another $400for a Sweet Ginger Couples massage in the Red Lane Spa.For adventurers staying in Ocho Rios, Island Routes offers private cocktail and canape tours onboard a comfy yacht for $1,800.

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Hey big spender

There are no shortage of champagne wishesandcaviar dreams in the Turks & Caicos Islands. Away from the fray on the more popular Grace Bay beach, The Shore Club on Long Bay Beach is the newest resort to join the Hartling Group that also includes The Sands at Grace Bay and The Palms Turks & Caicos. Topping the live-rich list in Providenciales, the three-bedroom penthouse is 3,500 square feet with a wraparound oceanfront balcony, hot tub and an on-call chef and sommelier. Nightly rates through June start at $5,250, and should a splurge be in the cards for the December holidays, nightly stays jump to $11,000.

For high rollers in a villa or resort, Eden Charters offers day trips aboard a 60-foot yacht.From $5,500 for a full day, the all-inclusive sail includes scuba diving, deep sea fishing andstops at the bird sanctuary called French Cay and Little Water Cay, home to the indigenous rock iguana. Options include an overnight on the boat and dawn dives and champagne breakfasts. Day trip options in Turks & Caicos include excursions to Parrot Cay for head-to-foot pampering in the Japanese baths at the COMO Shambhala Retreat, where you might run into Donna Karan, Bruce Willis and Keith Richards, who own multi-million-dollar beachfront homes on the cay. To snap the sunset, $1,200 buys two hours aboard the Atabeyra schooner named for the mythical goddess of the Lucayan Indians who arrived 500 years before Columbus. The Sun Charters tour starts at the Blue Haven Resorts VIP dock and although the boat fits up to 50, sunset cruises are a favorite of honeymooning twosomes.If a yacht is more your style, book a day on the Sea Ray or Sea Dancer for $2700 or a sail on the Island Routes catamaran that goes for $3,500 for up to 25 of your best friends.

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Luxury retreats

A week at Jade Mountain in St. Lucia is an Olympian-sized treat that comes with a you-deserve-it price tag.Designed by owner and architect Nick Troubetzkoy, the showpiece sanctuaries are grand sweeping spaces with nighttime illuminating floating platforms that are called mere infinity pools at other resorts, unapologetically sinful bathrooms and the signature fourth wall that opens to a commanding landscape. Start with a helicopter ride from the Hewanorra Airport for $530 per person, one way. Check into to the 2,000-square-foot Galaxy Sanctuary the resorts largest and kick-start a seven-day Tropical Tranquility package that goes for $28,232 per couple, through the middle of April ($25,208 through the end of May and $23,612 from June-October). Gratis options include spa treatments and champagne at sunset, plush bathrobes and your own comfy beach chairs on Anse Mamin Beach.A few extra shekels will buy an en-suite chef and sommelier who work their magic pairing fine wines with dry aged filet mignon and foie gras.

Overlooking what author James Michener called the most beautiful bay in the Caribbean, Capella Marigot Bay is ultra-chic in rooms, suites and the three-bedroom penthouse for $2,770 per night through Easter. Perched on a leafy hillside with views of Marigot Bay, the majestic 3,200-square-footer is super-comfy with a four-poster bed and high beamed ceilings, hot tub and big kitchen. Mix and match with massages at the Auriga Spa, sails on mega-yachts that dock at the marina, farm-to-fork dining and a nightcap at the Rum Cave. For $1,050 per couple, youll get a land and sea tour and for $895;adventuresome twosomes hike the Gros Piton at 2,619 feet above sea level.

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Cost no object: Caribbean vacations for the one percent - USA Today - USA TODAY

CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) St Lucia's national security minister, Hermangild Francis, has voiced concerns about terrorism and the possible effect on Caribbean tourism.

In an address to members of the St Lucia Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture, Francis said he has discussed the issue of terrorism with the Director of the Regional Security System (RSS) and the threat it poses to the Caribbean.

We do not have the exact number of ISIS fighters returning to their countries but we know that between 150 to 400 of these individuals, especially from Trinidad and Tobago, have returned, the former deputy police commissioner who is currently chairman of the RSS said.

He asserted that the situation was very problematic for the Caribbean.

Imagine, most of the islands are depending on tourism and we have an incident with one of our tourist ships maybe in Aruba, Martinique, St Vincent you could imagine the sort of catastrophic reaction that is going to happen to our main export, the minister stated.

Francis say St Lucia will be addressing the issue by going to the primary schools to ensure that young children are not radicalised.

According to Francis, all the evidence indicates that children are radicalised from a very early age.

That is one of the techniques that the ISIS movement uses, he observed.

We are going to make sure, with the help of our minister of education, to put in place programmes so that those young children vulnerable children, can be taught how to deal with radicalisation, Francis told members of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.

Read more from the original source:

St Lucia concerned about threat of terrorism to Caribbean tourism - Jamaica Observer

Wichita Eagle

Kansas justice invokes 'Pirates of the Caribbean' in legal dissent Wichita Eagle A Kansas Supreme Court justice invoked material from a Pirates of the Caribbean film in a case that began with a wreck on Bill Snyder Highway. The case stems from a Riley County car accident in October 2009. After a few beers one night, an 18-year ...

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Kansas justice invokes 'Pirates of the Caribbean' in legal dissent - Wichita Eagle

Whether you're ready to party this year or planning for next, this is the guide you need in your life.

Bacchanal Jamaica (Jamaica Carnival), Jamaica The electricity of Bacchanal is like none other. As one of the biggest cultural celebrations of Jamaica, the period features a number of high-energy, fun filled events, from beach parties to breakfast fetes, weekly mas camps to jouvert and finally colorful street parades of costumed revelers and pulsating music. The series kicked off on January 2 and culminates with the usual Road March on April 23. Some of the highlights of the season include: Beach Jouvert (April 15th), Reveller's Fete (April 19th) and Bacchanal Jouvert & Road March (April 21st).

Cayman Carnival Batabano, Cayman Islands Known for having some of the best beaches in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands celebrates its culture and heritage each year with Batabano. The Cayman Islands' National Carnival, which launched in 1983, has since been held annually every May. The weekend-long event begins Saturday, May 6, 2017 with the Cayman adult parade beginning on the world-famous Seven Mile Beach and concluding at Harbour Drive. If you're new to Batabano and don't know what to do, just "jump" - as Caymanians say - down the Streets of Grand Cayman in a spectacular arrangement of neon costumes and joyful Soca music. The parade continues with a street party featuring music by local artists and visiting bands.

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Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival, Bahamas They say "it's better in the Bahamas" and they are absolutely right. New to the carnival family tradition, Bahamas' Junkanoo Carnival has increasingly grown as one of the biggest fetes in the Caribbean. And the best part about it? It incorporates its Junkanoo culture, which is unique to just the culture of the Bahamas. The perfect dose of culture can be found in Da Cultural Village, which is the epicenter of Bahamas Junkanoo Carnival weekend. It is here that the best in Bahamian culture is put on display for the world to experience. The Grand Bahama Carnival Kick Off will take place on April 14-15, 2017 at Taino Beach, Grand Bahama, and the main event for May 4-6, 2017 at Da Cultural Village in Nassau.

RELATED: Going to a Carnival in Germany Immersed Me in a New Culture

Vincy Mas, St. Vincent and the Grenadines Not familiar with Vincy Mas? Well, it's time to get familiar. St. Vincent's Carnival kicks off with an official launch in May, with carnival celebrations stretch all the way through to July. A mix between J'Ouvert and Mardi Gras, there is something for every party-goer at Vincy Mas. In addition to the street parties, there's also a wide range of events that are family friendly, such as the Miss SVG competition, the Soca Monarch Competition, Miss Carival, the Junior Pan Fest and so much more. Band of The Year is a much sought after prize by those competing and partying during the Mardi Gras Parade of Bands, a fabulously colorful bonanza of costumes, music and dance.

Bermuda Heroes Weekend, Bermuda If you weren't already sold by the pink-sand beaches of Bermuda, than you have one more reason to plan your visit this summer. One of the island's biggest summer celebrations, Bermuda Heroes Weekend (6/16-6/19) is a Carnival-style lineup that includes Friday's opening night extravaganza on Front Street, the all-night J'Ouvert Celebration, Raft Up, the Parade of Bands, Promoters Day events and Race Day Raft Up on Monday, National Heroes Day. The beautiful part about Bermuda Heroes Weekend is that it is a party with a purpose. The celebration is all about Bermudian heroes - those who are "admired and acknowledged for their courage, outstanding achievements and noble qualities."

Caribana, Toronto, Canada What has long been known as Caribana, is now referred to as the Scotiabank Caribbean Carnival. At the center of Toronto's melting pot, Caribbean descendants and enthusiasts hits the streets and stages for what's known as one of the biggest island-style celebrations in North America. This summer will mark the 47th year of the festival which features events that celebrate the music, cuisine and arts of the Caribbean region. Some of the highlights include the Caribana Grand Parade, Annual Gala and the tent villages. Known for drawing close to a million spectators in past years, the Caribbean Carnival is the largest cultural festival of its kind in North America.

Crop Over, Barbados Rihanna isn't the only good thing to come out of Barbados. Its signature Crop Over Festival has made its mark on the Caribbean, and some say, even rivals that of the legendary Trinidad Carnival. The festival, which ends with the spectacular Carnival/Kadooment Parade, is the season used to celebrate the ending of the local Sugar Cane harvest. This in itself makes it distinctly unique from the Carnival festivities in other Caribbean countries. Additionally, local cultural characters mix with modern additions to give this festival a character unlike any other. While you may love to party and "jump the line," Crop Over gives you the opportunity to learn all aspects of Barbadian culture. A mixture of African survival heritage and Western modern culture is displayed through exhibitions of art, craft, music, and dance. Barbados' Crop Over events are varied with plenty of things to do for everyone's taste.

Spice Mas, Grenada If you haven't been to Grenada, you need to add it to your list and soon. Affectionately known as the "Spice Island," it's only right that their annual carnival would be known as "Spice Mas." The most anticipated event of the year for locals and tourists alike, Spice Mas transforms the island of Grenada into a celebration like none other. Jab Jabs, which are unique to Grenadian culture, walk and dance through the streets wearing a horned headpiece covered in black oil to mark the celebration of Spice Mas. This masquerade takes place early Monday morning and goes through to Monday Night Mas where party goers in bright t-shirts wave light sticks and dance through the streets well into the night. The week climaxes with parades of the explosively colorful mas bands, calypso and soca competitions along with a frenzy of steel pan music. Want to feel the energy of Grenadian culture? At Spice Mas you'll feel it running through your veins.

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Whine It Gal: 8 Caribbean Carnivals and Festivals You Can Still Make It To This Year - Essence.com