Barbados Culture and Traditions
Customs and traditions
According to Abbreviationfinder, Barbados is the most British-influenced country in the Caribbean. Among other things, this is expressed in the fact that business relations take place in a very well-organized manner, that national sports cricket is extremely popular and that they spend a lot of time and care in their gardens. Many believe that British influence has contributed to the Barbadians being somewhat more modern in their way of being than people in the rest of the Caribbean.
At the same time, young people are strongly influenced by the US and American culture in terms of music, fashion etc. Outside the capital Bridgetown, large American-style shopping malls have grown up.
Under the surface, Barbardo’s is still a fairly conservative society with strong roots in the Afro-Caribbean tradition. Religion is important, men are “macho” and few women have high positions in society. Women’s trafficking is a problem. Sexual contact between people of the same sex is considered criminal and it happens that LGBTQ people are discriminated against. However, the authorities have actively advocated against discrimination against people with HIV / AIDS.
- Countryaah: Overview of the capital city of Barbados, including information about its population, economy, geography, history and map.
The Afro-Caribbean influence is especially evident in the rhythmic music (calypso, reggae, soca, rapso) and in the many festivals, where Crop Over is the largest. It lasts three weeks from mid-July with calypso contests, fun times and more and ends on Kadooment Day (see below) with carnival-like parades and fireworks. The food in Barbados is Afro Caribbean embossed with fly fish or fish cakes, often placed in a kind of ” cutters “, cou-cou – a creamy mash of okra and cornmeal, or conkies, a mixture of cornmeal, coconut, pumpkin, sweet potato, raisins and spices – all steamed in plane leaves. For the food, the beer Banks is happy to drink. The national drink is otherwise rum, where the Mount Gay brand is the foremost. Rome drinks at rum shops, where the men like to gather and play dominoes. Room shops can however be anything from small bars to simple eateries or small shops with everything possible.
In addition to weekends such as New Year, Easter, Pentecost and Christmas, a number of other holidays are celebrated in Barbados: Errol Barrows Day (January 21), Heroes’ Day (April 28), First May, Release Day (August 1), Kadooment Day (First Monday in August), UN Day (first Monday in October) and Independence Day (November 30).
Communications
Barbados is an important hub for air transport to and from the eastern Caribbean. From Grantley Adams International Airport, there are flight connections to both North America and Europe as well as to most Caribbean islands and to destinations in South America.
The road network is well developed, although the roads are often narrow. Most roads are paved. The number of cars has increased sharply in the 2000s, causing traffic jams and road wear. Public transport is largely handled by minibuses. Railway does not exist.
The Bridgetown deep sea port has terminals for both freight and cruise ships.