15 Days of Christmas: Local/Homemade Wine

(source)

Keeping with the theme of beverages (and of course, alcohol), local or homemade wine is another favourite during the holiday season. Now that I've been writing a little about it, I realize how little I know about the history of local traditions and not only the Christmas ones. Carnival in Trinidad is one of the biggest events worldwide, and even that I know so little about its history. Only a few years ago, I was a counselor at a children's camp. There is where I learned a bit more about Trinidad's culture; some of the children knew far more than me. One thing I really did enjoy about that camp was that there was so much for me to learn; it was not only for the children.
Anyway, the year before last, my dad tried his hand at homemade wine. It turned out brilliantly. He did quite a lot of research, and was very excited about it. Every guest was given a personal tour of his "winery" and a sampling of the multiple flavours he tried. Those included rice, hibiscus, strawberry, apple, sorrel and others. Though I'm not very familiar with the tradition, its popularity is unquestionable. There are even songs about it!

 

It's not just the wine; Trinidad's love for cuisine on the whole is reflected during the Christmas holiday season, and other religious (some non-religious) holidays. For example, Divali and Eid-Ul-Fitr are also well known for the fabulous foods!
Christmas, however, is the one religious holiday that is celebrated by almost every citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. Because who doesn't love food and presents!