In Barbados, Christmas Day is a major holiday that is celebrated with various cultural reverences. This Caribbean island nation shows its festive spirit by decorating homes and streets with flamboyant displays of lights, nativity scenes, and tropical decorations. A popular tradition is the hanging of a hammock which represents the manger where baby Jesus slept, as influenced by the Christian population.
On Christmas Day in Barbados, unique traditions and activities can be found. The day is usually started with a trip to church for Christmas Mass, a tradition carried over from the island's British colonial days. Following church, the rest of the day is spent visiting family and friends, exchanging gifts, and indulging in festive foods. Traditional dishes include Jug-Jug (a dish inspired by Scottish colonists), baked ham, and great cake, a Barbadian version of the British Christmas pudding.
Another prominent feature of Christmas day in Barbados is the music. Tuk bands, a local type of folk music, are common during the Christmas season and can be heard throughout the island. Parang, a style of music that blends together Caribbean and Latin American rhythms with the themes of Christmas, is another regular part of the Barbadian Christmas experience. The day wraps up with Christmas carols and more celebration leading up to Boxing Day which is also a public holiday in Barbados.