On Sunday, people across the Cayman Islands will come together to celebrate Cayman Thanksgiving in homes, churches and restaurants.

In recent months, we’ve had a sobering reminder of how lucky we are in Cayman. The year 2017 has proven to be an extraordinary one throughout the Caribbean with Hurricanes Irma and Maria taking their toll. The United States also experienced the devastating wrath of Hurricane Harvey.

For these reasons, this year’s Cayman Thanksgiving should hopefully take on greater meaning for all of us. We’ve survived another really bad hurricane season. Our homes, schools and places work are still standing. We haven’t been forced to evacuate with our children and pets or survive for months without electricity and water. Life is good Cayman and we need to celebrate that.

An island paradise we certainly are, but one thing most people in Cayman have mastered is the art of constantly keeping exceedingly busy!

There is a steady stream of traffic on our roads, myriad activities to attend and constant transactions to complete.

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In our hustling and bustling lives we inevitably come across many reasons to complain, whether it’s about the aforementioned traffic, poor customer service, the price of gasoline, too many tourists on the pedestrian crossing, the heat and the rain. People in the Cayman Islands can probably always find something to criticize and yet many of us never had it so good.

Seven years strong

Cayman Thanksgiving is now in its 7th year and as it continues to grow, it remains focused on encouraging all people of Cayman to pause for a moment, count their many blessings and share a meal with family and friends using local produce and local recipes.

One of the founding members of Cayman Thanksgiving and 2017 Young Caymanian Leadership Award recipient, Faith Gealey, explains, “Bringing people together around a dining table is so important for building trust, mutual respect and healthy relationships, and Cayman Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to celebrate our unique heritage and culture.”

The Market at the Cricket Grounds is an ideal place to pick up those locally grown products in time for your Cayman Thanksgiving meal. It’s always good to ask the locals at the market for suggestions on preparing some of the produce. The Wednesday market at Camana Bay also buzzes with activity.

And for those who have not the time, or maybe are a bit scared to test their friendships and neighbors with their cooking, a number of restaurants in Cayman will be offering Cayman Thanksgiving-themed menus.

Let’s continue to be thankful as we prepare to say farewell to another active hurricane season.

1 COMMENT

  1. This is an excellent message for all of us who are blessed with life in Cayman. I salute the organizers of this inspiring event, and wish everyone of my Cayman co-inhabitants a delightful Cayman Thanksgiving.

    Although I may criticize things on the island from time to time, I realize I am truly blessed for the life my husband and I enjoy with our family here on Grand Cayman.