MONTEGO BAY — This year’s holiday season in Montego Bay will take on a more reflective tone, as civic leaders scale back traditional festivities in response to the damage left behind by Hurricane Melissa.
Mayor Richard Vernon confirmed that the city’s annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony will proceed, but in a significantly pared-down format. The usual concert and entertainment elements have been cancelled. Instead, Sam Sharpe Square will host a quiet illumination accompanied by a prayer vigil — a tribute to both those affected by the hurricane and the enduring spirit of the community.
“This isn’t about cancelling Christmas,” a senior municipal officer said off record. “It’s about acknowledging what we’ve been through and turning the first light of the season into a symbol of recovery.”
The city’s leadership is aligning the scaled-down observance with broader recovery operations still underway across St James parish. A multi-agency task force remains active, with targeted support going to the most impacted groups: the elderly, persons with disabilities, the unhoused, and displaced families currently in shelters.
Behind the scenes, cleanup efforts continue, particularly at night when traffic is lighter. These operations are being jointly executed by the St James Municipal Corporation and personnel from the Jamaica Defence Force.
While the scars of Hurricane Melissa remain visible, the mayor’s office emphasized that the city’s identity is intact.
“Montego Bay hasn’t lost its light,” one councillor said. “It’s just channeling it differently this year — inward, toward strength, unity, and the will to rebuild.”
With this new tone, the city hopes to shift the meaning of the season: from celebration to reflection, from spectacle to solidarity — a deliberate reminder that true festivity begins with resilience.
