January 1 (Soup Joumou Day!)

While many people in the world celebrate January 1st as New Year’s Day, Haitians all over the planet also celebrate January 1st as Haiti’s Independence Day. The tradition is to celebrate the anniversary of Haiti’s becoming the world’s First Black Republic by eating a very special food, Soup Joumou. Soup Joumou is a thick pumpkin/squash based-soup that is delicious. But it is also symbolic. The story is that enslaved Haitians were prohibited, by their slave-owners, from eating Soup Joumou, a traditional favorite food of the Haitian people. After a hard-fought 13-year uprising against their French “masters,” the Haitian people won their own independence back, and celebrated by eating their special soup in the streets and town centers throughout their country. Kyle and Owen were born in 2004, the year of the 200th anniversary of Haiti’s Independence. And for all those 200 years, and through until today, Haitians in Haiti and Haitians throughout the Haitian diaspora, have eaten Soup Joumou on January 1. This year I made Soup Joumou for the first time, and we celebrated Haitian Independence Day like other Haitian-American families do… by filling our bellies with Soup Joumou and talking about the meaning, importance, and symbolism of January 1 for Haitians everywhere. K & O took leftover Soup Joumou to school for lunch this week too, and told their teacher and their friends the story of this very special soup. Happy January 1!