St. Croix Jump Up

The Squishy Monster, November 28, 2018

A long weekend is always welcome but this one was particularly delicious as it capped off a whirlwind of a month with a nice and relaxing end. We enjoyed a laid back Thanksgiving meal with island fam then attended the largest Jump Up of the year in Christiansted. ‘Jump up’ means ‘to dance’ and simply put, this is the spirit of this traditional street party featuring local food, art, culture, Mocko Jumbies {stilt dancers}, steel pan drummers, quadrille dancers, fire dancers and more.

It’s free to attend, fun for the whole family and happens just 4 times a year on Friday’s in Christiansted along the boardwalk from about 6-10 pm.

February on the Friday closest to Valentine’s Day
May on that first Friday
July on the Friday closest to Alexander Hamilton Day
November on the Friday after Thanksgiving

I almost always get to meet viewers at these Jump Up’s so if you see me, come say hi! I give great hugs. You’ll often spot me at the fire dancing show or in line for fresh sugar cane juice. A fresh local coconut with local rum is also a very popular choice. J is a huge fan of roti {west Indian styled flat bread wrapping curried filling from goat to conch} and pates {empanada-type snacks filled with everything from lobster to chicken}. You can also find local fruit drinks like sorrel or maubi and handcrafted jewelry or crucian honey and mead along with lots of other goodies.

A long weekend also meant extra beach days from west to east, including diving, foraging for coconuts, and exploring. I even get to try sprouted coconut for the first time. The island really struggled after Maria and it’s only just now that my fridge is fully stocked with fresh cocos which is hands down, one of my top 3 favorite things ever. The mango trees are coming in with a late and confused flush but I have high hopes that they will return with vigor next year. Regardless, I am happy to show you my full fruit haul in today’s video and gleefully dig in to all the tree-ripened fruit Mother Earth still gifts us with. There’s not much that rivals the pure, unadulterated joy of picking sweet fragrant fruit, still warm from the sun’s beams for me.

It’s definitely been awhile since we had a long relaxing weekend with nothing on the agenda but enjoying our little rock. All the recent rain has transformed the entire island into a lush green landscape and everyone is back on the beach and limin’.