Jamaican manners & social customs

[mountaingal]

Many years ago when I went back to my district on holiday, I passed a man going in the opposite direction wid him cow, and didn't say good morning. Well, de man stop and give me a piece a cussing! How me no ha no mannas! Later on me did fine out seh im unda stress caw police did fine ganja a grow inna im grung, but still....

Me a try pass on to me pickney dem de basics of Jamaican mannas and social customs. Like:

-- when you come into a room, is you muss say mawning firs, not de ppl dem already inna de room

-- mussn't have food inna bathroom

-- say "Hello Granny" "Goodbye, Granny", not just "hello" or "goodbye" when speaking to your elders - you must call dem name.

anybaddy remember any oddas? [img]/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]

[Ochigal]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

Nice post MG...while we were in JA earlier this month my son asked me why I said hello to everyone we passed...I told him it was a freindly and good mannered thing to do. He asked why we dont do that when we are in the states...Wasnt really sure how to answer him.

I remember doing that once when I first moved back to the states and the lady looked at me with this nasty look and asked me if I knew her...So I just said, "thankfully NO I dont"

[High Octane]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

when adult talking yuh musnt interup.(seen not heard)
yu adress elders as miss or mr so an so...
never-ever ever put ice from glass in yu mout an spit it back een di glass... never.
yu come strait from school an change yu khakis

[sammy]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

same can be said for different states within the US i'm orginally from new orleans friendly people....moved my butt to texas had real problems my first few months....speaking to everyone and people looking at me as if i'd lost my mind!

i still have a hard time...i think some people here are just plain rude...no manners....what so ever

[ackeegirl]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

when i go visiting in Georgia and Bermuda, everyone says Hi to everyone they pass. It's so good to see it.

I still say hello to strangers of my own colour here in Toronto. Sometimes they answer, sometimes they don't but that won't turn me off. Howdy and Tenky nuh bruk no square.

lawx, mi did learn nuh fi eat inna di bathroom, but sometimes mi in dere putting on me makeup or combing mi hair while mi rushing to work and mi have a sangwige ..mi juss rest di egg sangwige pon a piece a tissue while me put apply di make up ..mi eat in btwn.... *sigh* life in di fast lane.

Mi grow up calling mi elders Auntie Dis and Cousin Dat and everybadi ah Granny..and it was nice. [img]/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

No elbows on the table while yuh eating. No food in yuh mout when yuh talking. Chew your food nuff times before yuh swallow. Fork in the left hand, knife in the right. Nowadays nobadi nuh use knife

Turn di soup bowl away from you when you drinking it with the spoon - tipping it a bit.

Leave lickle food in the plate fi manners when yuh done. dat was a silly wan.

don't play wid di utensils at the dinner table.

mi soon come back wid some more.....

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

Originally posted by ackeegirl:
[qb]Leave lickle food in the plate fi manners when yuh done. dat was a silly wan.[/qb]

lawks, AG, a muss town custom dat. a country you get beaten if you no eat everyting pan you plate - nuttn suppose to waste.

me memba couple more

-- girl no fe cross dem legs (never did know why) - dem use to call it "cut you ten".

-- you muss use wan special cup fe gie stranger weh come a you yard a beg fe a drink a water, an you no suppose to drink from dat cup

-- don't mek none a you personal tings (kerchief, for example) drop a road an you no tek it up. (a ting dat related to nat givin smaddy a chance fe wuk obeah pan you.)

[Suesumba]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

Wipe your feet/remove your shoes before you enter the house.. actually my little boy scolded someone that didn't do that the other day (I was too chicken to do it) [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[mountaingal]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

pickney no spose to inna house a daytime (country rule dat), lessen dem sick.

[msportmore]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

Some I thought about that have already been mentioned here are:

- Children must be seen and not heard
- Eat with knife and fork
- Elbows off the table
- Always say Good morning, Good evening, Good night
- Put hangle to yu elders cangle (in other words...address them as Miss, Maam, Sir, Aunty, Uncle, etc)
- Don't spit di ice back eena di glass
- Mi memba di cup wan to MG...dat dey cup deh did name "stranger cup" An nuh badda tink fi drink outta it...and mommy did say if yu cyaan find di cup, mek dem use wan glass and afta dem leave, yu fi bruk di glass.

Then there was:
- ALWAYS close yu knife and fork when yu done eat
- Don't dip yu han eena di glass fi get out di ice
- And of course yu wouldn't dare fi feisty wid any body older dan yu - nuh care who it was
- Nuh let no stranger eena yu madda house
Mi soon come again wid more...mi gawn do likkle work

[High Octane]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

mannas tek yu troo di worl

mannas mek di man
memba dem saying?

[churchgirl]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

Aww di memries.

How bout:

- Nevva full up di glass/cup to much
- Nevva write inna red ink gi smaddy
- Ooman nuh fi whistle

Mi memba some terms mi cudden seh roun mi granmadda:

Lie - yuh mus seh untruth
Faas - yuh mus seh nosy or inquisitive
Poop - eas yuh baddy or win [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] (dis wan always crack mi up)

[msportmore]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

Originally posted by churchgirl:
[qb]
Lie - yuh mus seh untruth
Faas - yuh mus seh nosy or inquisitive
Poop - eas yuh baddy or win [img]/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] (dis wan always crack mi up)[/qb]

BOAL...Churchie, yu mek mi buss out a di peeple dem wuk!! **DWL** Likkle moas mi win up mi self [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]

[High Octane]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

dawg among doctas,cockaroach among shavers.

(picney shouldnt meddle in big people bizniz)

churchgirl- whisling was a no no period.

[Kumtecky]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

Nuh tek anything from ppl.
Nuh guh a ppl yard pon Sunday.
Nuh nyam a ppl yard.
leff drink in de glass fi mannas.
Nuh mix-up ina big ppl argument.
Mek ppl long fi see yuh.

[msportmore]

Re: Jamaican manners & social customs

No tell no bady seh yu hungry excep yu madda...an nuh tell she sey yu hungry needa cause "pat deh a fiya, pickney nuh bawl fi hungry!" [img]/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img]