Jamaica is a beautiful place that everyone of us should visit. Before you decide to go to Jamaica, you should know some interesting facts about this amazing place. While you might think that this island doesn’t have a lot to offer aside from long beaches and hot weather, there are a lot of interesting things about Jamaica.
In this article, we are going to tell you some of the most important and interesting things you need to know about this beautiful island from the Caribbean. Here you’ll find facts about their culture, habits, and other captivating things.
- Jamaican Flag
Let’s start with one of the most important things for any country: their flag. First of all, their flag was adopted on 6th August 1962, once they gained their Independence from Britain. Like in most countries, the flag colors are special symbols. Each one of these colors represents something important for that country.
When it comes to the Jamaican flag colors, they mostly represent Independence and the strength of the people. The flag colors are yellow, black, and green. Yellow symbolizes the sunny weather while green is a symbol for their fertile land. The black component is the most important because it symbolizes the pride and the strength of the people.
2. Voodoo
The African slaves who came to Jamaica also brought their religion which is known as Obeahism. This is a form of voodoo and it’s still a common practice on the island. However, considering that it’s illegal, most of these people practice it hidden.
If anybody who practices voodoo is caught, then they are punished by death. Those who still practice Obeahism believe that Obeah man can use spirits by summoning them. These spirits are known for bringing bad or good luck to others.
3. National Drink
Jamaica was the first one to produce rum and to commercialize it. They are making some of the best cocktails and shots from rum. Also, they have a special Jamaican rum cream recipe which is simple to make, and it tastes great. They also use this to make special drinks like Mudslide cocktail or the Hummingbird cocktail.
Since this is their national drink it’s worth mentioning the fact that they have the most rum bars per square mile. However, most of these bars are not registered with the government. They also have a special, very strong rum known as Jancrow batty. This is only served on the black market because it’s illegally distilled.
4. Speaking Spanish
Another interesting fact about Jamaica is that this was a Spanish speaking country. Jamaica was under Spanish rule from 1509 to 1655. Its capital was named Villa de la Vega. Some of the names have changed over the years but there are still some towns which kept their Spanish names like Ocho Rios.
Also, it’s interesting to know that the buildings constructed in that period are still standing. Most of them are tourist attractions or museums. For the Spanish, Jamaica was used to send ships to Peru or Mexico. Since most of the Spanish soldiers were not in Jamaica, the English were able to take Jamaica from Spain.
5. Bobsled Team
Although you might find this strange, Jamaica has a bobsled team. Actually, this was the first tropical island to participate in the Winter Olympics. While the event was mostly dominated by participants which are in colder parts of the world, in 1988 the Jamaican government announced that they are going to send a bobsled team to the Olympics.
The interesting part is that the team from Jamaica managed to take a god medal in 2000 at the push championship which was held in Monaco. There is also a movie that celebrates this achievement. Disney made a movie named Cool Runnings to commemorate the gold medal received by the Jamaican team.
6. Top Consumer of Cranberry
Cranberries are very popular on this island. Despite the fact that this crop doesn’t grow in Jamaica, this country is still the top consumer. Cranberries are imported and they are perceived as luxury items. The most popular derivative of this fruit is the cranberry water which is great at regulating body temperature during heat waves.
Jamaicans are people who enjoy a healthy diet. This is the main reason why cranberries are their favorite. This fruit is seen as a medicinal plant because it has a lot of healthy properties. Cranberries can help people recover from the flu and they help improve the immune system.
Conclusion
These are just some of the most interesting things about Jamaica. As you can see, they have a lot of interesting history facts as well as cultural or social ones. Before you decide that Jamaica is the next country you want to visit, make sure to read more about this amazing island.
