The culture of the
Cayman Islands has been influenced by Afro-Caribbeans of
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
, colonists of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...
. In the 21st century, approximately 113 nationalities make up the residents on the three islands comprising the country. The total population of the Cayman Islands is 69,656 people spread throughout the island group, with the majority of the people found on Grand Cayman. Roughly 37,000 are generational
Caymanian
Caymanians are the status holders or born citizens of the Cayman Islands. As a British Overseas Territory, citizens of the Cayman Islands will hold British Overseas Territories Citizenship. There is no record of a native people to the Cayman I ...
s, with the remainder being immigrants, their children, and permanent residents.
In the past, most of the people of the Cayman Islands got their livelihood from the sea through fishing, turtle harvesting, and as merchant seamen. Cayman Sea Salt and Cayman Logwood products are now locally made and exported.
Religion
The influences of
American and
European culture
The culture of Europe is rooted in its art, architecture, film, different types of music, economics, literature, and philosophy. European culture is largely rooted in what is often referred to as its "common cultural heritage".
Definition ...
are most evident in the
religion
Religion is usually defined as a social- cultural system of designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, worldviews, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relates humanity to supernatural, ...
of the Cayman Islands, where Christianity is the most practiced religion. Within the island group, Christian denominations include
Anglican,
Baptist
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...
,
Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
,
Church of God,
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
, and
United Church
A united church, also called a uniting church, is a church formed from the merger or other form of church union of two or more different Protestant Christian denominations.
Historically, unions of Protestant churches were enforced by the state ...
, among others. Because religion is an important aspect of the culture of the Cayman Islands, most of the local businesses as well as the harbors and ports are closed on Sundays. The same establishments are closed on
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
days. The Cayman Islands also hosts a growing Jewish community.
Language
British English is the most commonly spoken language in the Cayman Islands, albeit with a distinctive
Caymanian dialect.
Jamaican patois
Jamaican Patois (; locally rendered Patwah and called Jamaican Creole by linguists) is an English-based creole language with West African influences, spoken primarily in Jamaica and among the Jamaican diaspora. A majority of the non-English ...
is also commonly spoken in the Cayman Islands, and younger Caymanian generations had adopted certain Jamaican terms and expressions.
Cuisine
The food of the Cayman Islands includes traditional Afro-Caribbean fare such as
cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
, johnny cake, bread fruit,
plantain
Plantain may refer to:
Plants and fruits
* Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking
** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa''
* ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...
, and meat pie. Jamaican cuisine has also been an influence in the Cayman Islands, and
jerk seasoning has become popular for use on meat dishes such as chicken, fish and pork.
Curry
A curry is a dish with a sauce seasoned with spices, mainly associated with South Asian cuisine. In southern India, leaves from the curry tree may be included.
There are many varieties of curry. The choice of spices for each dish in trad ...
is also used frequently in rice, chicken, and fish dishes. Traditional Caymanian fare includes dishes made from turtle meat,
conch, goat, and fish such as
grouper
Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.
Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is ...
and
snapper, with locally made Cayman Sea Salt.
See also
*
Music of the Cayman Islands
*
Scuba diving in the Cayman Islands
References
External links
People and Culture of the Cayman IslandsCayman Islands CultureCayman Islands Culture
{{Cayman Islands topics
*