The approach of New Year's Eve
In the run-up to New Year's Eve, the locals stock up on the elements they need to prepare solutions and other ingredients designed to get rid of the traces of the previous year. The house is cleaned from floor to ceiling with arada known as lanvè or douvan, grits and alkali, perfect for chasing away bad vibes, as well as sea water in large quantities. Salt is a good purifier, and can be bought if you're far from the sea. We add other plants(fey bwakaka among others), which stink but are reputed for their positive virtues. The mixture is blended and boiled before the filtered product is used. This same "broth", without the sizzle, can be added to your bath water, since it's all about purification. We buy a new broom to usher in the new year, and a new car to get the year off to a better start. The lily of the valley and its white flowers, symbols of purity, are given pride of place. Placed on the table next to the corn on the cob, its kernels will help you find happiness, not just in the meadow. These are the recipes for a happy new year, and here we firmly believe in them.
Oranges and mandarins, for their precious seeds, should be kept in your wallet all year round, as they are likely to attract good luck and are a very good way of making money. Never throw away the seeds of your first tangerine or orange of the year. Still for money, the meal will be made of seeds, but there will be no lentils at the table - they make you cry. They'll be replaced by pigeon peas(Cajanus cajan, or Cajanus indicus), a perennial plant in the Fabaceae family.
Pigeon pea and muscatel
On the menu for New Year's Day meals is the pigeon pea, known as pwa di bwa in Guadeloupe (wood pea), pwa pijon (pigeon pea), pwa kongo (congo pea), pwa kajan (cajan pea) in other countries. It has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years. It probably originated in India, from where it spread to East Africa, then to the Americas following the slave trade. The name "pigeon pea" refers to Angola, an African country from which it may also have been exported following the slave trade to the American continent... It will be accompanied by Muscat de Samos, a recent addition to Martinique's menu, a naturally sweet wine produced on a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. And then there's the inevitable Noilly Prat, a dry aperitif spirit. It's a vermouth, with aromas of wormwood, oregano, clove and vanilla that give it a warm edge. It became popular in this country, particularly in the early 19thcentury . This flavored white wine is reserved, along with a few sugared almonds, especially for visitors who have come to pay their respects.
The symbol of the dragée
On New Year's Day, small family stores are opened to keep them stocked all year round. These beliefs, which may seem outdated, are still firmly rooted in the traditions practiced by a good number of Martiniquais. For example, the almond, which is always offered on New Year's Day, is said to symbolize eternal love and happiness.
Taken up by Dragées Reynaud, a long-forgotten tale from Greek mythology recalls the legend of Phyllis, daughter of the King of Thrace, who fell madly in love with Demophon or Acamas, one of the sons of Theseus. When Theseus died, Phyllis' fiancé set off for Athens to pay his respects to his late father. He left his beloved alone. When her future husband, to whom she had given a cassette, did not return, Phyllis, after months, thought she had been abandoned and let herself die. The gods, shaken by so much love, decided to transform her. When the fiancé returned to the island, he found his sweetheart transformed into a beautiful almond tree. To make amends, he decided to make her an offering, and in return Phyllis, to show her love, began to blossom. Since then, the almond has become the symbol of eternal love between two people.
As almonds in their sugar dress are also a symbol of fertility and abundance, dragées are always welcome and offered at weddings, christenings, communions, anniversaries and especially on New Year's Day.
Festivities and organization
We need to "cleanse" the liver of the festivities, and "cleanse" the body of the excesses of New Year's Eve. To drain it, you'll need a herbal tea made with white vervain, a bowl of water, aniseed, patchouli and breadfruit leaves. Don't forget that New Moon's day is a good time to prepare and eat green soup, also known as kalalou, soup-kongo or soup-zabitan (inhabitant soup). As soup is liquid, like water, it washes and cleanses the inside. It allows you to use the bone and rind of the Christmas ham you've just eaten.
Everyone's an expert on the subject, and everyone has their own way of dealing with the next twelve months. Nowadays, it's almost true to say that behind every Martiniquan there's an eminent phytotherapy consultant - a profession with a bright future - because knowledge of medicinal plants, their virtues and how to use them is a long-standing tradition, and everyone loves to recommend a tea or a decoction; it's a shame, though, that we often forget that dosage is everything.
