Guyanese Online

COURTS CHRISTMAS TREES LIGHT-UP: A Growing Guyanese Tradition

by Francis Quamina Farrier

“Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, riding on a big truck along Main Street, Georgetown, November 17, 2017; a COURTS Tradition. (Photo by Francis Quamina Farrier)

A country becomes a more Cohesive Nation when traditions which encompass all citizens, are maintained and improved upon over the years. There should be no let-up in maintaining our good traditions. For example, the way in which Guyanese celebrate the Christmas Season, is a prime example.

One of the newer Guyanese Christmas traditions which begins the earliest, is the COURTS Store Christmas Trees Light Up and the massive give-aways to Customers who participate in the Spin-the-Wheel events.      

Those annual events commence with the Lighting-Up of the trees within the southern block of Main Street in downtown Georgetown from mid-November, and is up-kept until the end of the Christmas Season.

It’s obviously a rather funny photo; Veteran entertainer Charmain Blackman and Courts Casting Call Winner, 2017, Esther Thomas, react with amusement. (Photo by Francis Quamina Farrier)

Although relatively new, Guyanese have shown their interest by attending the event every year in very large numbers. The southern block of Main Street is blocked off from vehicular traffic. Most of the adults arrive with their young children and grandchildren; they include many fathers who are seen giving quality time to their young children, even though such men are hardly ever recognized by the wider society, including some Social Workers and some Pastors on Father’s Day.

This COURTS pre-Christmas tradition, which is staged within the southern block of Main Street in Georgetown, is in fact, one of those Family Fun events which children really enjoy. The Christmas spirit comes alive with a stage show at which some popular artistes perform some of the favourite Christmas and non-Christmas songs. Being there with their parents, grand-parents and guardians, enjoying the stage entertainment, the lighting up of the trees in the avenue, and finally the arrival of Santa Claus, usually riding on the top of a large vehicle, makes for a marvelous start to the Holiday Season for those youngsters who are privileged to be there.

There were many fathers sharing quality time with their little ones at the COURTS Christmas Tree Lighting Up 2017. (Photo by Francis Quamina Farrier)

They are all hyped up, singing along with the artistes on stage, and joining in on the count down for the switch to be thrown for the thousands of lights to go on. What must me mentioned, is that although Georgetown has been bedeviled with electrical blackouts, that has never been visited upon the COURTS Christmas tradition of the annual Lighting-Up festivity.

What is of note regards the Stage entertainment, is the performances by the COURTS CHOIR which is made up of members of COURTS Staff, who come together as a choir, to sing some of the more popular Christmas songs. During their performances, they face what was previously known as The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, but recently re-named, the Ministry of Cohesion. The COURTS Choir, is a splendid example of Social Cultural Cohesion and the building up of a Family Friendly Christmas Show by a popular Corporate Citizen.

Over the years, there have been many Celebrities present at the COURTS Annual Christmas Tree Light Up; including mayors and First Ladies, who would address the audience and also throw the switch which turns on the thousands of lights which are strung along the top branches of the trees in that section of the Main Street Avenue. This year, Mrs Sita Nagamootoo, the wife of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, was the honoured guest, and was given the opportunity to address the audience; she spoke almost exclusively to the children and encouraged them to be good students and good citizens.

Of interest, is the COURTS CHRISTMAS ROAD SHOWS, which are staged after the Georgetown event. There are similar on-stage entertainment, as well as lucky Courts customers receiving up 100% reduction on purchases made that day. Some of the principal venues where the COURT ROAD SHOWS are held, include New Amsterdam, Mahaica, Parika, Richmond, Bartica, and Linden; all part of this COURTS Guyana Christmas Tradition.

Tuesday November 28, 2017; COURTS at Linden is packed with customers for the Spin-the-Wheel, during which some very lucky customers won 100% reduction on items bought. (photo by F.Q. Farrier)

It must be mentioned that there is a Humanitarian element to the COURTS Christmas tradition. Quite a number of agencies, both government and non-governmental, receive tangible gifts to assist with their service to the Public. In Georgetown, the Children’s Pediatric Ward at the Georgetown Public Hospital is one of the recipients. In New Amsterdam, The Alpha Children’s Home has been receiving assistance from COURTS over the years. Many Schools including the Diamond Special Needs School, as well as a number of Religious organizations, also receive assistance from COURTS at Christmas time.

So here is a relatively new Christmas tradition in Guyana by a Corporate Citizen – COURTS (Guyana, Inc.) –  which others may well desire to emulate and bring a bit of The Good Life to Guyanese during the Christmas Season.

The COURTS Store Choir in action on stage singing some of the popular Christmas songs to an over-flowing audience on Main Street in Georgetown (Photo by Francis Quamina Farrier)