Good morning Barbados. It’s once again that time of year where we celebrate the joy and love of this special season. This is a time that means so many things to so many people, not just here in our country, but across our diaspora and indeed the world. So whether you’re at home or whether you’re abroad, whether you’re with friends or family, loved ones or not, regardless of your circumstances, on behalf of the Government and people of Barbados, I say a very Merry and Blessed Christmas.
You will realize that my voice is not the best, but I felt that it was still important to be able to share with you today.
We celebrate this beautiful Christmas Day as one Bajan family, and I’m so happy to know that the love we share and feel during this time is something truly special. As we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and the spirit of Christmas fills our hearts, I want to take a moment to reflect, to celebrate, and to share with each of you the hope and warmth that this season brings.
Indeed, I know this year, 2024, has been one filled with a unique blend of transformation, tension, and resilience. We have faced challenges that have stretched us beyond what we thought possible. We have encountered challenges that have tested our unity, our faith, and our strength. But through it all, we’ve stood together as Bajans, embodying the spirit of perseverance that runs through our veins, and that has indeed carried us through generations.
As we pause during this Christmas season, let us remember that the true essence of this time of year is not found in the decorations or the gifts under the tree. But yes, in the love that binds us together. The love of family, the love of community, and the love of country.
This Christmas, I encourage each of you to cherish those closest to you. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is easy to lose sight of what truly matters. But the moments we spend with our families, sharing a food and a drink, laughing, reminiscing, or simply enjoying each other’s presence, are the moments that give life truly its meaning. These are the moments that fill our hearts with warmth and remind us of the blessings we hold dear.
And for those who may be spending this Christmas missing loved ones who are no longer with us, let us acknowledge your strength. In your memories, their love lives on. In your hearts, they remain forever present. May the comfort of cherished memories, give you peace. And may you know that you’re never alone for this nation stands with you always.
To our Barbadians abroad, I know that Christmas is a time when your hearts long to be home, to walk the familiar roads, to hear the sounds of Christmas morning in Barbados, to feel the changes in the wind and the breeze, to taste the sweet red and the sorrel, and to feel the warmth that you get in family gatherings. Even if you cannot be home physically this year, know that you’re always home in our hearts, and the beauty of technology allows us to communicate with you and for you to be present, except we can’t hug and kiss you, but we can do everything else through that technology.
So, my friends, Barbados carries you with us, just as you carry Barbados with you wherever you are in the world. Your roots are deep, your connections strong, and your contributions to our nation’s story are invaluable.
As we celebrate this season of love and reflection, I extend a heartfelt invitation to you all. In 2025, come home. Come home for We Gathering. Or as the jingle says, “come long home”. This special year-long festival calls on every Bajan from near and far to return to our island and reconnect with your families, reconnect with the land, the culture, and the other people who helped raise you and made us who we are as a people.
We Gathering is not just a festival, my friends. It is a celebration of us, us Bajans. It is a time to honour our achievements, to share our stories, and to look boldly towards the future that we are building together.
Imagine a year where every parish comes alive from January to November, and then in December we bring everybody together, ensuring that the vibrancy of our culture is there in every village and every community there is laughter and conversations of reunited families and old friends. Yes, We Gathering 2025 will be a time to deepen our bonds to learn from each other and to revel in the joy of being Bajan.
So, wherever you are in the world, start making your plans. Barbados is calling you home. And may I say, having started it in 2020 and COVID put us off our tracks, this is the Barbadian spirit that says we will not allow ourselves ever to be dominated by circumstances. We’re going to do this one more time and get to the end.
But as we look back on 2024, we can see that it was a year of challenges, as I said, but also a year of incredible progress and unity. We faced economic pressures, we navigated global uncertainties, and we stood resilient in the face of the climate crisis. More people are working. More people are earning. And indeed, through every test, our determination shone bright, no more so than when we also confronted the ravages of Hurricane Beryl.
We have invested, my friends, in our future. We are transforming. our institutions with your help and we have held fast to our belief in the promise of this our great nation.
My friends the road ahead will not always be easy but we know that together we can always be capable of achieving greatness. That has been our story in the past it will be our story in the future. Barbados has always been able to count on the strength of its community and its families and of its faith in each other.
This Christmas I want us to renew that faith. Let us look to our future with hope knowing that as long as we stand together there is no challenge we cannot overcome and no dream we cannot achieve. The faith that we have in the God that we believe is absolutely critical to rooting us especially more so in these times when the pace of change is so rapid that it can sometimes be giddying.
As, we gather around our tables this holiday season, let us hold close therefore to the values that define us – love and kindness and respect and resilience. Let us also remember the beacons of renewal that we are asking each of us to instill in each other. Reach out to your neighbours. Check on those who may be alone, and spread the warmth and generosity that are the hallmarks of this special season. For it is in the giving of ourselves that we experience the true joy of Christmas.
May this season, my friends, fill your homes with peace, your hearts with joy, and your lives with love. And may 2025 bring continued blessings, opportunities, and the promise of brighter days for us all. And where there are challenges, may we build the resilience to overcome them. I simply say to you on this morning, Merry Christmas to you, your families, your friends. And may God continue to bless Barbados and to bless us its people.
Thank you.
Have a wonderful day and don’t overdo.