Our famous Torch Light Parade...

The Torchlight Procession is not a new idea here on Green Turtle Cay. In fact, it was a much anticipated annual Christmas-time event performed over 75 years ago according to local citizens. Mr. Floyd Lowe (90 + years young at the time of this writing) is the oldest living Bahamian on the island of Green Turtle Cay, and he remembers the torchlight processions of his youth.

If you were to sit and talk to Floyd, he has some wonderful stories to tell of the Abacos and Green Turtle Cay over the last century. In the late 1800's Green Turtle Cay had it's own pineapple canning factory and were shipping canned and fresh pineapples to the United States. It was the custom to wrap the pineapples in very colourful waxed tissue paper to help protect the fruit during shipping. The young people would start with a cardboard box and cut out a building (such as a church) and use this colourful paper in the windows so when a candle was put inside the light would shine through. The 'catfat' candle was put in empty cream cans and heavy fishing cord was used for the wick. Their creation was proudly paraded up and down the streets all the while singing Christmas carols. (Catfat is what the locals call a waxy substance that is found washed up on the beaches. The substance is actually 'spermaceti' This is an oil from whales and dolphins that fills the 'melon' in the head. This melon functions as the focusing and amplifier for the echolocation clicks).

As you can see by the photographs, the children from Amy Robert's Primary School presented their own version of the torchlights by tearing small bits of colored paper and creating their own designs. They used flashlights to illuminate their boxes for safety purposes. What a great job the children did on this project.

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