January 1 is a big deal for me. Not only does it mark the start new year, it also marks Haiti Independence Day (my parent’s homeland).
In a successful 1804 revolution, the slaves kicked out the French and Haiti became the first black-led republic in the world.
Soupe Joumou simmering on the stove at my aunt's kitchen outside of Boston, MA to start 2012
For me the time is spent time with family and consuming the soup joumou, a winter squash pumpkin soup with veggies, pasta, potatoes and beef or chicken. The soup is part of the historical tribute to the independence day when newly freed slaves had Joumou which was banned by French slave owners. We also call all of our family and friends in Haiti to catch up. This year thanks to Google voice I was able to chat with my aunts loud and clear.
I feel like if I don’t have the soup then the rest of the year will not go right. For instance in 2011 my family and I were on the road and the two places we stopped did not have the soup — a big disappointment. We ended up having the soup immediately when we returned home on Jan 2.
Happy Independence Day to you, my family and fellow Haitians.
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