Homecoming
Nancy April 4th, 2005
Some of the communities plan a special project to occur when there are so many helping hands available. Tarpum Bay has been constructing a community centre over the past several years and there is always lots of renewed building activity around and during the Homecoming.
One of the most recent homecomings was held in Rock Sound over the Easter week. There were lots of booths offering food and drink plus there was live music and a junkanoo competition with both local and Nassau groups performing. The driving rhythm of the drums , cow bells and whistles enhance the beautiful and colourful Junkanoo costumes. Many of the local crafts people also offered their crafts such as straw hats, purses and baskets, shell jewelry and coconut wind-chimes. The Harbour Island All-Age marching band performed and was very well-received.
Rock Sound holds one of the larger Homecoming events and another large one will be held in early August in Governor’s Harbour. Also on the same long weekend in August are homecomings in Tarpum Bay, Hatchet Bay and Deep Creek. The island will be flooded with hundreds of relatives, friends and other visitors to enjoy the food, music and companionship.
One of the better known Homecomings on Eleuthera is the Gregory Town Pineapple Festival held in June. Usually, the wonderfully sweet island-grown pineapples are ready to harvest and you see lot of folks walking around nibbling on a big hunk of pineapple with the juice running all over their hands and chins. Nobody minds!
At all the Homecomings, there’s a great opportunity to try the local delicacies. Conch fritters and conch salad are always popular plus all the native side dishes - macaroni and cheese, potato salad and coleslaw. If you’re adventurous, there’s Souse - a stew containing everything and anything ! For the sweet tooth, try the guava duff or pineapple and coconut tarts. Yum!
Even if you’re a visitor, you will be “welcomed home” – and it’s a fun time to just relax and enjoy!
The tradition is an event called “Homecoming”. Every settlement on the island holds an annual Homecoming or town fair. Anyone born in the settlement or who has ancestors from the settlement “comes home” at this time of year to renew ties, get involved in the community and overall to just have a good time! This is especially important on many of the family islands such as Eleuthera where many of the young people over the years have had to leave the island to attend school or to find employment. Having this event draws everyone back to visit with the family again and brings a boost of energy and local pride back to the island.