HAITI CLAIMS CARIBBEAN TITLE

Haiti claimed the 2007 Digicel Caribbean Cup after defeating the hosts, Trinidad & Tobago by a score of 2:1 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in
Port of Spain on Tuesday evening.

Alexandre Boucicaut and Fucien Brunel gave the Haitians a 2:0 lead with goals in the 23rd and 52nd minutes, respectively. Nigel Daniel answered for the soca warriors in the 66th minute, but the Haitians held on for their first-ever Digicel Caribbean Cup title.

This is also the first tournament crown won by Haiti since capturing the 1973 CONCACAF Campeonato de Naciones which also gave them the Confederation’’s qualification berth to the FIFA World Cup”
West Germany 1974.

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Christmas in Haiti

Christmas in Haiti

Traditionally, a few days before Christmas, Haitians would cut pine branches to serve as Christmas trees or  they would go to the market and get freshly cut trees brought from the mountains. They would then decorate them with bright ornaments. At the base of the Christmas tree they would add a fairly large nativity scene which could occupy a large part of  the living room. They depicted a cave manger, with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, the wise men, and sculptured stable animals complete with hay.
On Christmas Eve, the children would place their shoes, nicely cleaned up and filled with straw, on the porch or under the Christmas tree. Papa Noel (Santa Claus) was expected to remove the straw and put his presents in and around the shoes. Christmas Day was a day of  a lot of eating and drinking and singing and playing with the toys brought by Papa Noel. The children might also play with fireworks which they mostly made themselves from chemicals bought in the store. They consisted of little “bombs” which they set off as noisemakers.  All houses in the neighborhood were open with all lights on until about three o’clock in the morning. Some people went to midnight mass. Others would go out in the neighborhood in groups, caroling. Parents generally gave their children complete freedom on this night and generally did not know or enquire where they went. The older children were in charge. Children of practically all ages were allowed to drink anisette on Christmas Eve. Anisette is a mild alcoholic beverage prepared by soaking “anise” leaves in rum and sweetening it with sugar.
Those who went to midnight mass would go back home to enjoy the meals of the “reveillon.” The word “reveillon” is French for a Christmas or New Year’s Eve supper and comes from the verb meaning ‘to wake up.” The occasion was however more a breakfast than a supper. It began very early in the morning and often lasted nearly till dawn.