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Social Profile
Food & Drink: Hotel cooking is usually international with some Bermudian specialities such as Bermuda lobster (in season, September to mid-April), mussel pie, conch stew, fish chowder laced with sherry, peppers, rum and shark. Other seafoods include rockfish, red snapper and yellowtail. Peculiar to Bermuda is the Bermuda onion; other fine home-grown products include pawpaw and strawberries in January and February, and a variety of local citrus fruit. Traditional Sunday breakfast is codfish and bananas while desserts include sweet potato pudding, bay grape jelly and a syllabub of guava jelly, cream and sherry. There is a vast variety of restaurants, cafes, bars and taverns to suit all pockets. Service will vary although generally table service can be expected.
Local drinks and cocktails have Caribbean rum as a base, and have colourful names such as Dark and Stormy and the famous Rum Swizzle. British, European and US beer is available. It is normal in bars to pay for each drink and to tip the barman. In restaurants, drinks are added to the bill.
Nightlife: Most hotels offer a variety of entertainment. Dancing, barbecues, nightclubs and discotheques are all available. Local music is a mixture of Calypso and Latin American, and steel band music is very popular.
Shopping: The best buys are imported merchandise such as French perfumes, English bone china, Swiss watches, Danish silver, American costume jewellery, German cameras, Scottish tweeds, and various spirits and liqueurs. Bermuda-made articles include handicrafts, pottery, cedar ware, fashions, records and paintings by local artists. Antique shops may have the odd good bargain and shops in the countryside offer many souvenirs. Bathing suits, sports clothes and straw hats are other good buys. There is no sales tax or VAT. Shopping hours: Mon-Sat 0900-1700, with some closing early on Thursday. Shops at the Royal Naval Dockyard are open on Sundays 1000-1700.
Special Events: Bermuda’s many annual events include concerts, marathons, cricket matches, regattas, golf and tennis tournaments and horse shows. The following is a small selection for 2003. For a full list of special events, contact Bermuda Tourism (see Contact Addresses section).
Jan Annual Bermuda Regional Bridge Tournament. Jan 13-Mar 1 Bermuda Festival of the Performing Arts (showcase of world music, theatre, art and popular entertainment). Jan 17-19 Bermuda International Race Weekend. Feb Annual Bermuda Rendezvous Bowling Tournament. Mar Championship Cat Show (Bermuda Cat Fanciers Association). Mar 2-8 Sixth Annual Ladies Pro-Am Golf Tournament. Apr 66th Annual Agricultural Championship. Apr 11-17 Sixth Bermuda International Film Festival. Jul/Aug SOCA (Caribbean music festival, Royal Naval Dockyards). Aug Annual Sea Horse Anglers’ Club Billfish Tournament; Reggae Sunsplash. Nov Bermuda Tattoo.
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Social Conventions: Many of these are British influenced, and there is a very English ‘feel’ to the islands. It is quite customary to politely greet people on the street, even if they are strangers. Casual wear is acceptable in most places during the day, but beachwear should be confined to the beach. Almost all hotels and restaurants require a jacket and tie in the evenings; check dress requirements in advance. Non-smoking areas will be marked. Tipping: When not included in the bill, 15 per cent generally for most services. Hotels and guest-houses add a set amount per person in lieu of tips to the bill.
Copyright © 2003 Columbus Publishing Ltd.
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