Sure COVID-19 has robbed us of our beloved Cup Match Cricket Classic, but there are still plenty of ways to celebrate our island’s unique history and culture. So take this time to reflect on what it means to be Bermudian, the events and social change that led us to where we are today and make time for some fun – After all, Cup Match wouldn’t be Cup Match without a little celebrating. Here’s how you can get into the Cup Match spirit, even without the game.
1. Decorate Your Car
You wouldn’t be Bermudian if you bypassed the opportunity to show off. Let the people know which team is yours by decking out your car (or bike) in red-and-blue or blue-and-blue! You can purchase color-coordinating ribbon from Gibbons Company or Qui-Ja Fabrics (upstairs in Walker Arcade) and tie them around your mirrors to look bicycle streamers. Don’t forget the classic Cup Match flags, provided by HSBC Bermuda (see below for information regarding this year’s HSBC Cup Match motorcades!)
2. Go Camping
Bermudians love to camp over Cup Match and over the four-day weekend, it’s absolutely normal to see our parks chock-full of tents and happy kids, barbecuing hot dogs, swimming in shallow water and generally having a good time. And now that the curfew has been lifted and we can take our barbecues and beach towels and set up camp for Cup Match! Great places to pitch a tent include Shelly Bay Park, Ferry Reach, and Darrell’s Island. Keep in mind the need for social distancing, it’s imperative we all adhere to Government guidelines regarding COVID-19.
3. Get Out on the Water!
Experiencing Bermuda by water is not just a benefit of living and vacationing here, it is an exploration of Bermudian culture, an integral part of understanding who we are as a people and how our maritime history and ocean culture have contributed to our existence and collective identity. No matter whether you’re more inclined to enjoy Bermuda’s waters from above the surface or below, find a way to get submersed in our ocean environment this Cup Match weekend. Get in, on or around the water and celebrate all that is best about summertime in Bermuda. Click here to learn more about camping in Bermuda.
4. Join the HSBC Bermuda Motorcade
5. Get a Cup Match Themed Mask
Show your team some love with a Cup Match-themed face mask from Coral Coast Clothing. Available for purchase online for $20, these well-crafted and colour-coordinated face masks are a fun way to celebrate Cup Match culture during COVID-19. Click here to shop!
6. Educate Yourself on Bermuda’s History
Sure, Cup Match is about cricket and celebrating all things Bermudian, but there’s a very serious side to our annual holiday too. The first day of Cup Match is Emancipation Day, which acknowledges Bermuda’s deep-seated involvement in the African Slave Trade, as well as celebrates the abolishment of slavery in Bermuda in 1834.
The second day of Cup Match is Mary Prince Day (formerly Somers Day). Mary Prince was born an enslaved person in 1788 in Brackish Pond, Bermuda. She had several different enslavers, each one subjecting her to unimaginable physical and emotional abuse. In 1828, Mary Prince convinced her enslaver to allow her to travel to London with him. It was during that trip that she escaped, seeking refuge with a man named Thomas Pringle, a founder of the Anti-Slavery Society. It was then that Mary Prince began talking about what life was like for her as an enslaved person. Her autobiography, The History of Mary Prince, A West Indian Slave was published in 1831; it was the first book of its kind and remains to this day the only first-hand account of the brutalities of enslavement in Bermuda. The History of Mary Prince is acknowledged to have played a significant role in the abolishment of slavery throughout the British colonies.
7. Make Some Traditional Bermuda Cup Match Fare
Celebrating Cup Match in Bermuda without food is unacceptable. If you want to please your friends and family, host a small gathering (with social distancing!) with all the Cup Match favourites, including curried mussel pie, conch fritters, and fried fish (for a fish sandwich form if you feel inclined). Click here for a full Cup Match menu and recipes.
8. Mix Up a Batch of Swizzle
And for heaven’s sake, do it the old-school way. If you don’t know what that includes, take the advice of Goslings Bermuda Brand Director, Andrew Holmes.
9. Support Local Businesses in St. George’s and Somerset
This year we challenge you to support the other side: if you’re from the West, travel to the East and if you’re from the East, make your way to the West. While there, enjoy the sites and scenery, patronize a local restaurant (we LOVE Wahoo’s or Mama Angies in St. George’s and Woody’s in Somerset!) support the local businesses (St. George’s: Long Story Short, Davidrose, Lacquered, Robertson’s Drug Store; Somerset: Somerset Pharmacy, De Island Shack, Somerset Country Squire) and immerse yourself in the natural wonders (Tobacco Bay in St. George’s and Somerset Long Bay in Somerset).
10. Watch This!
Feeling nostalgic… so are we!
HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited
37 Front Street, Hamilton
(441) 295-4000
www.hsbc.bm
