Guyanese Easter: A time of celebrating, bonding
Easter in Guyana is not just a religious holiday, the unique festivity see Guyanese from all walks of life bonding together in communities while commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
On Easter Monday, the Department of Public Information (DPI) captured the essence of the cultural festivities, as citizens, young and old painted the skies with a vivid spectacle of kites across the capital city.
For Lurlene James and countless others, Easter holds a profound significance.
James said, “Easter means a lot, it is the rising of Christ, he suffered for our life, he paid the debt that we could not pay and it means a lot to me.”
She expressed great joy to see Guyanese come together as one in love.
“It is a family day, it brings families together and people share love, not only with your family but with friends and even people who you do not know. You share that Christ love that is within you with others,” an elated James told DPI.
Similarly, Eon Springer shared that “it is good to be out here seeing all the different faces and everybody enjoying themselves and having fun.”
Mpho Harper underscored the spirit of togetherness that exists during the Easter festivities.
“It means a lot to me…This is a time where Guyanese come out to celebrate with each other, fly kites, enjoy the vibes and the atmosphere, and be together with everyone around them,” she said.
Buzzing with excitement, Dawn Carter expressed that Easter is a time of abundance and camaraderie, as she spends time with her family.
“Easter is about the family getting together with friends, eating and drinking, celebrating. You find a number of people getting together, and spreading the joy. At every stand I can see a pot of food, you can see a bottle of drink, you can see a cooler, you can see people flying kites,” Carter noted.
Sharing similar sentiments, Jaheim Simpson told DPI, “It is actually fun seeing the children, youths, everybody coming out with their family and hang on this day.”
Meanwhile, Lennox Gasper sums up what he believes is the gist of Guyanese Easter, noting that it is a time for cherished moments with loved ones.
“Guyanese Easter is the family time, you just take the time you come out, you mix and mingle and you share some moments with the family,” Gasper expressed
Amidst the hustle and bustle of kite sales, Joshua McFarlane said he finds joy in the smiles of children.
“The vibe is quite interesting because everybody is having fun and I am getting my sales selling my kites. I see it does put a lot of smiles on the little children faces and that brings back my days of when I was small even though I use to hustle when I was small but it is fun, seeing everybody smiling and being together. It does change a lot of people heart in different ways and it is fun,” said McFarlane.
