As a child growing up in Cayman, my favourite annual family tradition was jumping in the car with my siblings and going around the island to see the Christmas lights.
The displays these days are way beyond anything I could have imagined as a kid. Just as technology and cash registers have advanced over the years, so have the myriad means of illumination. I’d hate to age myself, but I don’t think even icicle lights were a thing when I was young.
There were no decorated roundabouts, because there weren’t any built yet. The main hotels were the Holiday Inn and Royal Palms on Seven Mile Beach, and George Town was considered to be the shopping epicentre, with By-Rite, Kirk Freeport and Comart/Fantastique featuring on the must-stop list for Santa.
Going out to look at the Christmas lights meant driving around neighbourhoods where we knew certain houses would be decorated to the nines. There was one particular house that we always stopped by every year, and after enjoying their displays for many a December, Mum helped us write the owners a card to thank them for their efforts. I remember how much they appreciated it, particularly as up until then, they had no idea that they featured on our annual route.
We also made sure to go along Shedden Road past the Home Gas store (where Coffee & Bite and 828 Mart are now located), as they had an animatronic Santa in the window – a rare sight in 1980s Cayman.
Another highlight on the calendar was when Santa tossed aside his sleigh in favour of a flatbed truck that went down the roads (slowly, of course), while he threw out wrapped sweets for children. We lived in apartments on North Church Street back then, and waited in the front yard for the familiar sound of the engine getting closer. As soon as those confectioneries hit the ground, we were on them like chickens on cracked corn. Sweets on the ground are really only designed for the very young; after all, who can bend at the waist like that after the age of 30? Actually, never mind – carnival parades tell a different story.
Nowadays, it could take two nights to properly visit all the extraordinary Christmas decorations to be found around the island. Camana Bay is resplendent with beautifully lit palms along the Paseo, all leading to the massive Christmas tree standing like a beacon on the Crescent.
Heroes Square in George Town is well worth a look, boasting giant ornaments, a huge tree, and Santa with reindeer on either side.
Even though, due to COVID regulations, the grounds of the Crighton and Bodden houses are not open to the public, they can easily be appreciated from the roadside. Families have still been parking and walking along the walls to get a closer look – it’s just always important to be aware of the nearby traffic. The Bodden home is opposite Sunset House on South Church Street, and the Crighton residence is opposite Ocean Club on Shamrock Road. Believe me, there will be no missing them as you approach their respective vicinities.
The hotels have joined in the celebration by pulling out all the stops. The Ritz-Carlton announced its official reopening on 15 Dec., and has outdone itself with a large gingerbread house and elves display, right next to the stunning Christmas tree near Silver Palm Lounge. The Kimpton Seafire also has its foyer tree looking in fine festive fettle, and The Westin has decided to embrace the great outdoors with a tree overlooking the renovated pool and Seven Mile Beach.
If you’ve never done it before, I highly encourage you to book an evening to go out and explore the wonderful world of Christmas lights around Cayman. Bonus points if you sing carols as you go.
Related Videos
Have you seen this Christmas light show in West Bay?
https://youtu.be/YtRmcZgKsjk
How can you omit a photo of Maxine and Maureen’s wonderful display on S. Church St?.