COVID-19 restrictions hamper
Guyana’s kite flying tradition
By Tangerine Clarke
Easter is one of the most
observed holidays on the calendar
in Guyana and the Caribbean,
and a time of the year
especially sacred for Christians
who observe the resurrection
of Christ.
But the most exciting, is
Easter Monday, a day set aside
by families to get together and
fly their kites on the popular
Sea Wall overlooking the Atlantic
Ocean, many others taking
trips across the country for picnics
and sightseeing.
There is an anticipation leading
up to the holiday season
where kite makers layout their
colorful designs at street corners,
so starry-eyed children
can pick and chose for their
memorable experience of kite
flying.
Unfortunately, the fun season
for a second year in a row
has been crippled by the ongoing
coronavirus pandemic.
The festivities which normally
attract thousands to the Sea
Wall, the National Park, playgrounds,
Caribbean L 18 ife, April 9-15, 2021
lakes, and resorts
were halted due to the ongoing
strict safety put in place, leaving
citizens to raise their kites
from backyards.
The National COVID-19 Task
Force (NCTF) put all protocols
in place to ensure the safety of
citizens, blocking off the Sea
Wall and all recreational spaces,
and enforced by the Guyana
Police Force.
But Guyanese nationals who
returned home for the season
were not fazed by the temporary
setback. As a matter of fact,
they were eager to reminisced
about this cherished pastime,
and what it meant to them
growing up in Guyana and celebrating
their Easter Monday.
Phillipa Morrish, an etiquette
consultant, for one, said memories
are what matters the most
to her.
She said Easter 2021 was
eagerly anticipated as it was
going to be her first Easter
Monday in Guyana after many
years.
“COVID-19 affected kite flying
crowds in Guyana as it did
in other parts of the world, but
it cannot tamper with my childhood
memories of kite making.
I remember ripping out pages
A scene from the Seawall in Guyana in 2018, where holiday
makers raised their kites on Easter Monday. Photo by Tangerine
Clarke
from my old ‘exercise’ book,
taking two ‘pointer sticks’ from
my mother’s broom, making a
tail from a piece of floor cloth,
and a piece of twine to send
my kite flying into the air,” she
recalled.
She mused, that she later
graduated to a more expensive
version, using kite paper,
“glamma” cherry paste, and a
razor blade at the end of the tail
to “cut away” any other kites
that dared to get too close. By
the time I was in high school, I
exchanged kite flying for dressing
up and going to a 1:00 show
at Astor cinema. Now I am a
senior and back to being excited
about kite flying. I guess the
“once a man, twice a child”
adage is true, quipped Morrish.
Avid kite fl yer Tangerine
Clarke used her backyard
to raise a Starpoint kite on
Easter Monday, April 5, due
to COVID-19 restrictions put
in place by the Guyana National
COVID-19 Task Force
(NCTF). Tangerine Clarke
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