In Guyana, Christmas is a time of joy, celebration and merriment. And during this short period of the year, people seem to forget all their worldly problems. And focus on Jesus? Some of them, yes. But Christmas is a time of great indulgence, wine, parties and buying gifts among people who are not even Christians. In other words, it’s an “across the platform” kind of thing.

Jesus Christ Versus Santa Claus: Who Wins in Guyana?

There are messages going around social media, emails and various other media that we should remember that “Jesus is the reason for the Season.” And in church, kids are often told to remember that Christmas is about Jesus, not Santa Claus.

But as the old legend goes, Santa will sneak down the chimney at exactly midnight of Christmas Eve and bring that toy the child has been longing for all year – if he or she was well behaved.

So what’s the tradition in Guyana? Well, Guyanese do tell their children the same myth about Santa Claus, but in later years, the kids will of course realize that it was just a fairy tale – this Santa Claus. In summary, I guess Guyanese are more into Jesus than Santa Claus, and I guess that’s the general understanding.

On Christmas mornings, it’s a tradition for Guyanese Christians to go to church. And many churches keep Christmas parties for both kids and adults.

Even though the major religious groups in Guyana are Hindu, Christians and Muslims, and Christians only make up about 35% of the population, the Christmas Season is generally a merry one for all Guyanese.