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News, Businesses, Industries, Products, Services, Tourism, People, History, Culture, Education…
The masala brick, which was once a vital element of East Indian culinary tradition in Guyana, comes with a grinder or “stone” which was used to grind cooking ingredients such as masala into powder. Many masala bricks were imported to Guyana from India.
This is very cute, heartwarming, and humorous story of a pet dog saying thanks to a doctor for saving its life. Obviously, a dog can’t write such a letter. However, the owners of the pet dog, who cherish it dearly, would like to thank the doctor on behalf of the dog, and represents in this letter what they think the dog might have said if it could have spoken.
These amazing Guyanese delicacies will leave your mouth watering. If you are a Guyanese, have Guyanese roots, or identify as Guyanese, you may be familiar with some or all of them. So tell us in the comments: how many of these Guyanese goodies do you know?
Tacoma worms are a delicacy for some groups of indigenous peoples in Guyana. It is prepared in a variety of ways. It is often it is roasted on an open fire. One of the simplest ways the indigenous peoples use to cook the tacoma worms are roasting them in a pan with some salt and pepper…yummy! The tacoma worms are also used as bait for fish.
Three religious fasting periods: lent, navratri, and ramadan coincide this year. It marks fasting for the three major religious groups Guyana: Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.
Bush cook is a Guyanese tradition where a group of persons, usually friends, family, neighbors or any combination of such, get together to cook a nice pot of cook up rice, also called “all in one,” at somebody’s backyard or another “bushy” area of choice. It is sort of like a picnic, but somewhat different.
Emancipation Day is a national holiday observed each year on the 1st of August in Guyana, South America. The holiday commemorates the abolition of slavery by the British Empire and the beginning of a new life and identity for those Guyanese of African descent.
New Year’s Celebration in Guyana is pretty much the same as most other countries around the world. People have family gatherings, parties, fireworks, and other social activities. Romantic couples often try to spend the last few hours of the old year together in order to “break the new year” together. Guyanese, like other people around the world, place great emphasis on the start of the New Year. They see it as a new chapter in life, and hope that it will bring them good or better fortune.
Gymkhana has different significance to different countries. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines Gymkhana as “a meet featuring different sports contests or athletic skills,” and added that the word originated in 19th century India. If you google the term “gymkhana,” you might realize that this sport culture is not spread out across the world. It is unique to a few countries. In Guyana, the idea has morphed into something even more unique.
Remembrance Day, an annual observance and ceremony in honor of all those who died in military service, either in or out of the line of duty, is observed on the second Sunday of November each year. Remembrance Day is interchangeably called Remembrance Sunday because the day always falls on a Sunday – that is, the second Sunday of November each year.
Kartik Purnima is an Indian cultural festival which is celebrated on a full Moon day or the fifteenth lunar day of Kartik Purnima. This is celebrated not only in India but also around the world as well as Guyana.
Diwali, also called Deepavali, is one of the biggest and most auspicious festivals celebrated by Hindus in Guyana and around the world. The five-day long festival starts with Dhanteras and culminates with Bhai Dooj. Diwali marks the start of the Hindu New Year. The date of Diwali, which is determined by the position of the moon, changes each year, but usually falls somewhere between October and November.
In Guyana, South America, Phagwah is known as the festival of colors. Although of East Indian and Hindu origin, the celebration of Phagwah in Guyana is a national holiday which is celebrated by Guyanese of all races, classes, and religions. During the morning, buckets of water are used to drench one another, while in the afternoon, colored powders are dabbed and sprinkled on friends, and colored water is sprayed using a “water gun.”
People sometimes get confused: if Guyana is located in South America, then how is it referred to as the Caribbean? The answer is that Guyana belongs to both South America and the Caribbean. Confusing? Sort of. But here is a healthy explanation. Guyana is geographically part of South America, but it is culturally and historically part of the Caribbean.
Mashramani is an annual event which takes place in Guyana. It is similar to the Trinidadian and Brazilian “carnival.” The word Mashramani is an indigenous word which means “celebration after hard work.” In 2019, Guyana is celebrating its 49th Anniversary as a Cooperative Republic, and Mashramani events are part of the mix. Happy Republic Day to one and all. – Feb 23rd 2019. Have fun with these beautiful photos.
On the 25th of January, 2019, students of various schools including Aishalton Secondary, St. Ignatius Secondary and St. Ignatius Primary took to the streets of Lethem to celebrate Mashramani. Decked out in floats and dressed in colorful costumes, they proceeded north along Lethem’s Commercial Road heading to the Tabatinga Sports Complex.
Easter is a holiday which is observed at varying dates in the month of April each year. Along the coasts of Guyana, and in some hinterland communities, the “Easter Season” is marked by widespread kite flying, cross buns, and church services. Kite flying in Guyana is sport, especially among children, that is reserved especially for the Easter holiday. However, in Region 9, the Easter Weekend sees the performance of the world famous Rupununi Rancher’s Rodeo – a two day event which takes place on the Saturday before Easter and Easter Sunday. Kites are hardly, if ever, flown in the Rupununi Savannahs during the Easter Holidays.
In some countries, Christmas has a predominantly religious significance. Those are countries which have a predominantly Christian population. In other countries, Christmas has only a cultural significance – a time to make merry and spread goodwill in solidarity with Christians around the world. And in some countries, it is a mix of both religious and cultural significance. Guyana is one such country where Christmas is celebrated by the entire population for either cultural or religious reasons.
The first Flag Raising Ceremony took place on Midnight of May 25th 1966 – or just at the dawn of Guyana’s first Independence Day – the break of May 26th 1966. On the first ever Flag Raising Ceremony, the Union Jack, the flag of British Guiana during colonial rule, was lowered, and the Golden Arrow Head, the current flag of Guyana as an independent nation, was ceremoniously hoisted.
On 15th of October, 2017, the town of Lethem celebrated its first even town week. A LOT of work went into preparations for this much anticipated and celebrated event. The Mayor and Town Council, backed by the Government, various Lethem Businessmen as well as community members poured a lot of time, money, and energy into upgrading the newly declared town of Lethem for this landmark event: the first ever Annual Lethem Town Week Celebrations.
The Mashramani festival takes place every year on the 23rd of February in Guyana and is intended to celebrate Guyana’s becoming a Republic. Guyana was declared a Republic on the 23rd of February, 1970.