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Overview:
Images of Christmas decorations from Cap-Haïtien’s downtown area and a mesmerizing Christmas tree made of water bottles in Quartier-Morin, a nearby commune, illustrate how much this special holiday is on people’s minds despite the hardships.
CAP-HAÏTIEN — On Dec. 21, a dazzling array of multicolored lights illuminated Street 20 L-M, transforming Cap-Haïten’s downtown area into a fairytale Christmas ambiance. Yellow lights stretched between balconies, casting a warm, golden glow. Red and blue lights twinkled on barren trees in front of Nice Cream, a popular restaurant in town.
The legendary Haitian Christmas classic Abdenwèl by Lionel Benjamin gently echoed from the speakers inside Nice Cream to the nearby streets. It was a reassuring sign that despite everything, Christmas was alive and well celebrated in Haiti.
Despite constant rain, which left streets flooded or caked with mud, some Cap-Haïtien residents found ways to celebrate. Many adorned their homes and businesses with Christmas lights, a financial sacrifice for some given higher fuel costs and reduced income from limited working hours because of the torrential rain.
Some residents have kept their festive lights glowing throughout the night, despite the rising cost of gas and the reduced sunlight available to recharge solar panels.
Guy Joseph, director of shipping company T Cos Operation Services, was so elated about the coming of Christmas that he decorated his business since Dec. 13.
“Even if we don’t have money and we have insecurity, Christmas remains Christmas,” Joseph, 49, said. “What announces Christmas is the decoration.”
To add to the decorations, some residents have been sporting Christmas attires such as sweaters and Santa Claus hats.
Here are some images of the Christmas spirit in Cap-Haïtien.
