Plundered shipwrecks, boundless love, rumoured alien abductions and our famous shorts - our island's stories and traditions are core to our character. Any of us will be glad to expound on these narratives in colourful detail.or simply read on to find out what exactly is a Gombey anyway.
- The Bermuda Triangle has erroneously been linked to numerous disappearances
- Island tales, tall and otherwise, have been passed from one generation to the next for four centuries
- We hold our traditions dear - from formal shorts to a the cricket Cup Match holiday
Alien abductions. Explosions of methane gas. Temporal holes. Sorcery and voodoo. All of these fantastic explanations have been credited for the "mysterious disappearance" of boats and air craft in the 805KM / 500MI of Atlantic Ocean affectionately known as the Bermuda Triangle.
This large swath of ocean - bordered by the tip of Florida, our island, and San Juan, Puerto Rico - was first labelled "The Devil's Triangle" in a 1950 article in the Associated Press. In the following years, other references were made to "strange marine disappearances" in the area. But true notoriety was attained with the 1974 publication of Charles Berlitz's book, The Bermuda Triangle, and its subsequent film adaptation.
Even though numerous inaccuracies and inconsistencies in Berlitz's book were soon revealed - what once seemed so mysterious was truly not - by then the legend had taken a firm hold. Today, the US Coast Guard and other experts will attest to the fact that ships and aircraft are lost in heavily travelled areas the size of the Bermuda Triangle all of the time, all over the world.
As much as we love a good tall tale, we have not, to this day, been bothered by any aliens, temporal holes, methane gases or supernatural forces. So the unbelievable tale of the Bermuda Triangle remains exactly that.
With these tales of tragedy, humour and love, we do not disappoint. Each explains a little of our history and our character.
The parson keeps it fair
Like a treacherous beacon in the unforgiving Atlantic, many 18th-century islanders would intentionally lure trusting ships onto our perilous rocks. Wrecking, as it was known, was a profitable, if unsavoury practice.
One wrecking story tells of a rector preaching at St. Anne's Church in Southampton Parish on a stormy Sunday. A man stormed into the church and started whispering to members of the congregation, who promptly reached for their hats.
The rector demanded, "John Smith, what are you saying to these people?"
Smith supposedly answered, "Parson, there's a ship on the south-west breakers."
"The congregation will remain seated until I take off my surplice," replied the rector. "Then, boys, we'll all start fair."
From the hottest flames come the prettiest flowers
Visitors often remark on our island's pleasant temperatures. But when the thermometer spikes, keep your ears pealed for us to say, "It's a regular Sally Bassett day."
Sally Bassett, you see, was a slave found guilty of compelling her granddaughter to poison her owners, Thomas Forster and his wife. As punishment she was burned to death at the Foot of the Lane at the eastern end of Hamilton Harbour. On her way to her execution, she is reputed to have admonished crowds rushing to witness the event to take their time because, in her words, "There'll be no fun 'til I get there."
The execution day's unusually high temperature, together with the fire's intense flames, gave rise to the local saying. Some people believe that out of her ashes appeared a tiny purple iris in full bloom: the endemic Bermudiana flower.
Unbounded love
Would you risk drowning for love? John, a young Flatts Village slave, escaped most nights from his owner's house to visit his love, also a slave. Problem was, she lived on the other side of Harrington Sound.
Rather than risk capture on land, John would swim the considerable distance to her owner's house. When his master discovered John's nightly swims, he chained John to a stake. While John couldn't break the chain, he could pull up the stake. Off he swam again, this time in shackles. Both sets of owners were so moved by John's feat that they allowed the couple to marry.
What makes our island unique? The beaches? The golf? Many islands offer those. Traditions - from our distinctive shorts to the Gombeys' drum beat - mark our island as unlike any other.
Not-so-short Bermuda shorts
Men in Bermuda are never shy about revealing their knees. Standard business dress for men incorporates colourful linen or worsted wool shorts, worn with shirt, tie and blazer, plus the characteristic knee socks.
So-called Bermuda shorts were originally borrowed in the early 20th century from the British military's uniform for hot climes. Although often colourful - pink is a favourite - do not mistake our shorts as informal. We take our shorts so seriously, in fact, we passed a law: no shorts shorter than six inches above the knee.
- When worn, Bermuda shorts fall 5CM / 2IN above the knee and have a tapered bottom for a tailored look
- To feel at home in the boardroom or at a business lunch, don a navy blue single-breasted blazer; white or light blue shirt; any colourful pair of shorts; a Bermuda tie in a matching hue; navy blue knee socks; and black loafers
- For smart casual wear - worn mostly during the day or at barbecues - choose a madras or short-sleeve knit shirt; shorts in salmon pink, royal blue, red, navy or any other colour; matching knee socks; and a pair of loafers or boating shoes
Bermuda Gombeys
Rhythmic drumming typically announces our Gombeys long before you will see them. These magnificent dancing and drumming troupes often take to the streets, especially on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) and New Year's Day.
The colourful tradition of Gombey dancing dates back to the mid-1700s, melding the roots and cultural influences of slaves brought to Bermuda.
- Derived from the African word meaning "drum," Gombey also incorporates Native American and British colonial influences of the New World
- In a Gombey performance, dancers dressed in brightly-coloured capes and dramatic peacock headdresses re-enact historical and biblical stories
- Percussionists set the trancelike rhythm with kettledrums and snare drums, while the dancers grow ever more uninhibited as the hypnotic rhythm speeds and intensifies
- From November through March, catch a live Gombey revue Tuesdays at 4pm in the Harbor Room, No. 1 Passenger Terminal, on Front Street in the City of Hamilton
Cup Match: A cricket holiday
Keeping with our British heritage, cricket is our island's passion. So much so we created its own holiday - the Cup Match. During the Thursday and Friday before the first Monday in August, the St. George's and Somerset Cricket Clubs compete in this crucial cricket game of the year.
But the holiday is not just about cricket - it is a carnival atmosphere featuring:
- Food - fresh local fish, curried mussel pie and spicy fish chowder are Cup Match favourites
- Fashion - especially hats
- Gambling - when spectators pause from roaring support for their favoured side, they take their chances at the crown and anchor gaming tables
Cup Match also has historical significance: The Thursday commemorates Emancipation, which ended slavery in 1834. And Friday, Somers' Day, commemorates Sir George Somers, a British admiral and privateer, whose shipwreck on our reefs inadvertently started our first settlement.
Find us on Facebook