As a family tradition, we consume a holiday dessert called “Black Cake”. This cake is only consumed on special occasions like Christmas and New Year's. This cake originated from medieval times in England. The desert in England was called “Christmas Pudding”. This probably explains why my family has it on Christmas. This cake can be compared to the average “Fruit Cake”. The major difference is we add rum as one of the key ingredients. The recipe for this cake has been passed down from generation to generations. My family is from the country Jamaica. When my family first moved to the America it was around December 1984. They arrived in America during the winter time. This was very difficult for them because they were not familiar with these cold conditions. This would also be their first Christmas in America. Speaking to my family members they told me that they were very scared because everything was new to them. On Christmas Day, they were actually looking forward to having this special dessert. This cake symbolizes in my family “new beginnings” and “cherishing old memories”. In the picture above you see my family on Christmas Day December 2014, and the tradition still continues.

– Tiffany Evans

Relationship:  Grandchild of im/migrant Grandchild of im/migrant