“Feliz Navidad” – José Feliciano
Of the thousands of Christmas songs, Feliz Navidad brings me closest to Christmas in Trinidad. Though Trinidad was a British colony, Spanish roots quietly remain –you can hear it in the name of the capital, Port of Spain. So when this Spanish refrain plays, it carries me back to green Christmases on a sunny island, where December looked nothing like the snow-filled scenes in songs and movies.
Trinidad is small, and imported foods were limited. Christmas stood out not for excess, but for rarity. It was the one time of year we had apples and grapes. Whether they were available all year and simply saved for December, I never knew –but to me, they were Christmas fruit. Red Delicious apples and bunches of red grapes appeared only then, bright and special, something to be waited for.
Even now, when I hear Feliz Navidad, I don’t think of cold nights or fireplaces. I think of warmth, color, and the quiet thrill of simple things music in the air, sunlight on green leaves, and the taste of fruit that only arrived once a year, right on time.