Traditions of Kingston
The home of reggae, with Rastafari, Emancipation Day and a table of ackee, saltfish and jerk.
Kingston is the capital of Jamaica, the island where reggae, ska and dancehall were born. Bob Marley's music and the Rastafari faith are widely known, and the island is proud of its culture of Maroons, who kept African traditions. The language is Jamaican Patois, with its own proverbs.
Reggae and Rastafari
Reggae spread from Kingston's studios across the world, with a message of resistance and peace. Rastafari beliefs include a reverence for Haile Selassie, the wearing of dreadlocks and a plant-based diet called ital. Emancipation Day on 1 August and Independence Day on 6 August are celebrated with festivals. The Maroons hold Accompong Day in January.
At the table
Ackee and saltfish, the national dish, with fried dumplings, and jerk chicken or pork, cooked over pimento wood, are eaten widely. Rice and peas is the Sunday meal. Curry goat, patties, and bun and cheese at Easter are well loved. Blue Mountain coffee and ginger beer are drunk.
Signature traditions of Kingston
Also part of it, and being written: Rastafari (The faith.), Jerk (The cooking.), Ackee and saltfish (The dish.), Jamaican Maroons (The Maroons.).
A trail idea for Kingston
- Bob Marley Museum See the house.
- Trench Town Culture Yard See the birthplace.
- Hellshire Beach Eat fried fish.
Written by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Opening hours, markets and festival dates change; check locally before travelling. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Reggae: Thesupermat, CC BY-SA 3.0, source