Family outings to the beach on the weekend are a major part of Caymanian culture, but sand plays another very important role in Cayman at Christmas time.
Unlike many parents around the world, Caymanians have always been able to guarantee their children a white Christmas. The tradition of ‘backing sand’ has stood the test of time.
Often, beginning as early as October, Caymanians could be seen by the light of the moon carrying ‘ground baskets’, woven from leaves of the magnificent thatch palm trees that tower loftily over the islands, brimming with powder-white sand from the beaches. The sand would be deposited in the front yard and on Christmas Eve, raked into intricate patterns and decorated with shiny new conch shell pathways.