The golden beaches shaded by palm trees, and crystalline waters teeming with rainbow-hued sea creatures, are undoubtedly the main attractions in the Virgin Islands. Most visitors are more than happy to spend their mornings on the beach, their afternoons browsing the boutiques, and their evenings savoring a fresh-caught dinner. But the history of the Virgin Islands encompasses much more than the history of resort tourism. Like so many other islands in the Caribbean, the Virgin Islands were deeply involved in the colonial ambitions of Western Europe and the slave trade with North America. These historical facts can still be experienced today, not only in the architecture, but also in the local cuisine. The brief history and cuisine guide below give a peek at the cultural and historical influences coursing just beneath the surface of any modern-day escape to the Virgin Islands.
Don't Let the Jumbies Get Ya! -- "Don't let the jumbies get ya!" is an often-heard phrase in the Virgin Islands, particularly when people are leaving their hosts and heading home in the dark. Jumbies, capable of good or evil, are supernatural beings that are believed to live around households. It is said that new settlers from the mainland of the United States never see these jumbies and, therefore, need not fear them. But many islanders believe in their existence and, if queried, may enthrall you with tales of sightings.
No one seems to agree on exactly what a jumbie is. Some claim it's the spirit of a dead person that didn't go where it belonged. Others disagree. "They're the souls of live people," one islander told us, "but they live in the body of the dead." The most prominent jumbies are "mocko jumbies," carnival stilt-walkers seen at all parades.
