On Christmas morning in Cayman, the island comes alive – kitchens busy, churches filling, Christmas trees glowing, boats heading out, families and friends exchanging greetings before moving on to beaches and lavish dining tables.
Amid the sense of abundance, it’s easy to assume Christmas is the same for everyone – but for some, it feels different.
“While Christmas is typically a joyful time, for many older adults in our community it can bring a heightened sense of loneliness, grief or emotional strain,” said Dr. Shannon Seymour, clinical psychologist and director of The Wellness Centre.
Cayman’s latest statistics show 11,811 residents are over the age of 60, making up more than 13% of the population – a group for whom the holiday season can be especially challenging.
Grief and loneliness
“As someone who grew up in East End, and as a son of an ageing father, I know firsthand how important our older persons are to the fabric of our families and our country,” said Minister for Social Development Isaac Rankine. “This season can be joyful, but it can also be lonely for some of our seniors.”
In the US, studies suggest the holidays can be deeply difficult for older adults. One found that 26% of Baby Boomers avoid the season altogether because of grief or loss – a figure that could mean more than 3,000 seniors in Cayman.
A separate AARP survey found that 28% of older Americans had felt lonely during a holiday season in the previous five years, equivalent to more than 3,300 elders locally.
“Research shows that social isolation, bereavement and changes in routine can intensify feelings of low mood or anxiety during the holiday period,” said Seymour. “These experiences are not a sign of mental illness, but a natural response to life transitions that often become more visible at this time of year.”
At 73, marriage officer and community leader Joy Basdeo understands that emotional terrain well. Following a health scare, she trained as a grief educator, gaining a deeper understanding of loss. “Grief doesn’t follow a schedule,” she said. “And it certainly doesn’t take a holiday break.”
Basdeo believes that loneliness and grief are among the most underestimated challenges facing Cayman’s ageing population, particularly during the holiday season.
“The holidays have a way of amplifying everything we feel,” she said. “The music playing in every store, the family gatherings, the photos we see – they all remind us of who’s missing.”
There are no official figures for how many older Cayman residents experience the holidays grieving and alone, but comparisons abroad offer a sobering lens.
In the UK, polling of people aged 65 and over found that 11% will eat Christmas dinner alone, while 5% will not see or speak to anyone at all on Christmas Day. One in five said they miss the sound of laughter at Christmas. One in three will not put up a Christmas tree.
If similar patterns hold true locally, around 1,300 older Caymanians could be eating Christmas dinner alone, while close to 600 may not see or speak to anyone at all on Christmas Day. More than 2,300 might miss the sound of laughter during the holidays and nearly 4,000 could forgo putting up a Christmas tree altogether.
For Lucille Seymour, 81, Christmas has always been meaningful. An educator, former parliamentarian and lifelong community leader, she is the current chair of the Council of Older Persons, working to ensure that Cayman’s elders are not only supported, but seen.
“Christmas in Cayman is not only about lights, gifts, or modern celebrations,” she said. “For older Caymanians, it carries deep layers of meaning.”
She remembers a different island – children backing sand to mimic snow, handmade cards, quadrille dancing, Christmas Eve gatherings at Hog Sty Bay, and meat eaten only once a year and never wasted. Modern Cayman, she acknowledges, offers comforts her generation never knew.
But she said, “All these niceties pale in comparison to the warmth of humanity, love and kindness in the olden days. We were more neighbourly, more giving and more caring. Poverty meant lacking money, but not food or compassion.”
For those now in their late 70s and 80s, she says Christmas still arrives with sensory markers. The smell of fruitcake baking. The shift in weather, when nor’westers bring a rare chill. Memory is rich. Company, not always.
“Christmas is a season for families,” she said. “But for those without family nearby, or whose loved ones are abroad or busy, the joy of the season is dimmed when you have no one to share it with.”
Health and mobility issues compound that isolation, she added.
Creating connection for Cayman’s seniors
While the season can amplify loneliness for many seniors, it also reveals the spirit of CaymanKind.
Since 1991, Tim Adam, 71, has helped lead the Rotary Club’s Boxing Day Seniors Party, a tradition that dates back to 1965 and remains one of the most enduring events on Cayman’s Christmas calendar.
“It’s one of those things seniors look forward to all year,” he said. “They come dressed to the nines, they sing, dance, recite poetry. They leave not just with full hearts, but with hampers of food and supplies to carry them into the new year.”
For many attendees, the day offers something deeper than a meal or a gift. “These gatherings make seniors feel loved and valued. They reconnect with old friends. They get to perform, to share. It gives them a sense of worth.”
That sense of connection will be on display again this Boxing Day, when the Rotary Club marks the 60th anniversary of its seniors celebration at the First Baptist Church on Crewe Road. The event begins at 12:30pm and will feature live music from Henry Leslie & Company. Admission is free, with complimentary transportation available for seniors who need it. Bus schedules will be shared via the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman’s Facebook page.
Christmas connection is also central to the season at the Pines Retirement Home, where the Kids with Heart community programme brings children into the home each year.
What began with a handful of kindergarteners has grown into a lively gathering of bow-making, gingerbread decorating and carol singing. “When they see young children come in, it just lights them up – especially around this time of year,” said Pines manager Lynda Mitchell.
That same need for connection underpins the work of Meals on Wheels throughout the festive season. General manager Jennifer West said the 350 hot meals delivered each day across Grand Cayman are about far more than nutrition.
“During the holidays, some of our seniors celebrate alone and many of them don’t receive any Christmas gifts,” she said.
During the festive season, Meals on Wheels supplements meals with holiday groceries and gift drives, including its Santa for Seniors initiative, which relies on community donations to reach hundreds of elderly residents.
“For many of the thousands of seniors in the Cayman Islands, the holidays are the loneliest time of the year, as they face silent nights, silent weeks, silent months – even silent years,” said the organisation in a social media post.
How to make a difference
“In Cayman, we were raised to look out for one another, to check in, to show care, and to make sure no one feels forgotten, especially during the holidays,” said Minister Rankine.
“I encourage everyone to take a moment to reach out to an older neighbour, a friend, or a family member. A simple visit, a phone call, or a kind word can make all the difference and reflects the true spirit and culture of who we are as Caymanians.”
Christmas support does not have to be grand or complicated. Often, it is the smallest gestures that carry the greatest weight.
For older neighbours or relatives who may be spending the holidays alone, a simple act of connection can make a profound difference. An invitation to share a Christmas meal can mean everything, but even a brief visit during the day – or in the days around Christmas – offers something to look forward to. Letting someone know when to expect that visit can be as comforting as the visit itself.
“Support and connection are important to reduce the stress experienced by our elderly this holiday season,” said Shannon Seymour. “We can all do our part by stopping by for visits and making sure the elderly are included in community activities.”
When distance makes visiting impossible, pick up the phone. Hearing a familiar voice can be more meaningful than any wrapped gift. For many older people, a call from someone they love is the most valued part of the season.
Practical help can also open the door to connection. Offering to take an older neighbour to shop can break the monotony of solitude and restore a sense of normalcy. Even a short outing can change the rhythm of a day that might otherwise stretch endlessly.
Gatherings offer another chance for connection. Churches, community centres and local charities host Christmas meals and tea parties designed specifically to welcome older people. Attending alongside someone can make the difference between staying home and stepping out.
“Community events and visits are so important,” said Lucille Seymour. “If organisations understood the past as we have lived it, and reenacted traditions for old times’ sake, loneliness among older persons would decrease. Singing carols, backing sand or dancing the quadrille together would bring back the warmth of our youth and remind us that we are not forgotten.”
Transportation is sometimes the missing link. Offering a lift to an event, especially on Christmas Day, when options are limited, may be the gentle encouragement someone needs to say yes.
“We must also acknowledge that health and mobility affect how seniors experience Christmas,” said Seymour. “Not all of us can join in festivities or travel to see the bright lights and decorated trees. Accessibility matters and it is a gift when communities make space for us to participate fully.”
Finally and perhaps most importantly, recognition matters deeply. “When younger generations, service clubs or organisations remember older persons at Christmas, it fills us with gratitude,” Seymour said.
“A simple visit, a shared meal or a word of thanks reminds us that our contributions to Cayman’s heritage are valued.”
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Have a Merry Christmas seniors!