Cultural Connections in Bermuda


    The Bermuda is an archipelago of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean, and lays parallel to the U.S state of North Carolina. Because of it's subtropical climate, culture and history, it is an associate member of the Caribbean Community. However, Bermuda's culture plays a big part in it's association with the Caribbean. Some of the questions one can ask are, how was the culture shaped over time? Which ethnic groups on the island share certain traditions, languages, food, etc? How diverse is Caribbean culture?

    One of the major influences that shaped the culture of Bermuda is religion, specifically Christianity. The dominating religion in Bermuda, according to the Virtual Caribbean Library. There are also smaller yet significant religions that influence the culture, like Roman Catholic. These religions brought together many ethnic groups, specifically the Afro-Caribbean community.



    Furthermore, another way influences have helped shape the culture on the island of Bermuda is the food. The Bermuda cuisine is a mixture of American, British, and West Indian influences, with some local seafood thrown into the mix. The national dish of Bermuda is fish chowder, which is believed to have been developed by the British colonizers in the 17th century, but with some inspiration for the indigenous islanders of Bermuda as well. This combination of two different groups resulted in the national dish that Bermudan takes great pride in, and clearly remains to have a cultural impact on the island since the dish is considered the national dish to this day.


    Another unique cultural tie that Bermuda has is it's most spoken language, Bermudan English. It is a unique dialect of English, and it "portrays characteristics of American, West Indian, and British English.", as stated in StudyCountry.com. All of these various characteristics come from different ethnic groups that inhabit the island as well as the whole Caribbean! These linguistic characteristics are also known as Caribbean creole.




In conclusion, Bermuda's culture is very interconnected due to it's history, with Britsh colonizers having an influence on the national dish of fish chowder, which unites many cultural groups on the island, as well as the religion of Christianity. The religion that is most prominent on the island and is a source of unity for the community! The language of Bermudan English is also an influence on the the island, as it's origin is made up of different regions from around the world. These various factors shaped the island's culture to the way it is today. 



Sources:
“Bermuda | Geography, History, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica,     https://www.britannica.com/place/Bermuda. Accessed 19 Apr. 2020.
Encyclopedia Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/place/Bermuda. Accessed 10 Mar. 2020.
Bermuda Religions - Demographics. 
    https://www.indexmundi.com/bermuda/religions.html. Accessed 19 Apr. 2020.
Culture of Bermuda - History, People, Traditions, Women, Beliefs, Food, Customs, Family, Social. https://www.everyculture.com/A-Bo/Bermuda.html. Accessed 19 Apr. 2020.
The Culture of Bermuda | Caribya! 
    http://caribya.com/bermuda/culture/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2020.

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