The Hosay Festival in Jamaica
The evolution of Jamaican money
Many persons living in Jamaica today are only familiar with the decimal currency or 'dollars and cents' system which is used in trade for goods and services. Therefore, it is hard to imagine a time when this was not the official currency of the island. Nevertheless, Jamaica has seen many currency changes since the time of the Tainos who used beads made from stone, bone or shell, zemis (idols) and guanins, which were gold discs, for trading. However, with the eradication of the Tainos by European exploitation, Jamaica was introduced to the currencies of several countries, which were all used at some point in time.
The magical/spiritual use of herbs was very much a part of African tradition. According to Robertson, "herbs are generally, any herbaceous or woody plants which are aromatic in one or more parts, and are considered to have culinary, medicinal or cosmetic value." Plants constitute a major ingredient in the practice of Ethnomedicine.
