St. Thomas · Tourism

People and Culture of St. Thomas

St. Thomas has a very colorful history and many people have walked this tropical island. The first to inhabit this beautiful island were the Taino Indians. Christopher Columbus claimed not only St. Thomas for Spain, but the neighboring islands that are now known as the US and British Virgin Islands. Spain did not see much promise in any of these islands and left after a short time period. Then during 17th century, many Europeans settlers staked claims to parts of the wonderful and unique tropical islands. In 1733, the Danish government purchased St. Thomas along with St. John and St. Croix from the Danish West India Company. But, the Danish knew that the land was not good for any type of agriculture trade, so St. Thomas became a port where products from all over the Caribbean were traded. Charlotte Amalie became a very important port for its easy accessibility for the shipping trades. During this time, St. Thomas was prosperous. The Danish were not in any major conflicts with any other countries and because of their being neutral during many quarrels, St. Thomas was left alone to flourish and prosper. You can view this today as you see the quality shipyards that dot the shoreline.

America became very interested in the Virgin Islands during the years just prior to 1917. They were concerned over German infiltration that was occurring in the Caribbean. So, in 1917, they bought these islands from the Danes. During the mid 20th century resorts began to be built resorts and direct flights from the mainland of North America to St. Thomas which increased tourism. St. Thomas is now a wonderful and tropical setting for a vacation in paradise.

St. Thomas is a great mixture of Caribbean and American culture. You can visit a fast food restaurant or a local restaurant serving the best Caribbean cuisine. The grocery stores are full of all kinds of American treats along with items you can find anywhere except in the Caribbean. Seeing fishermen selling their catch of the day can be seen on many streets. The music is what you would expect on any radio found in America plus a little extra. You will a variety of calypso music, reggae, American pop, salsa, blues, oldies, rock and roll and just about any other music you can dream of. If you want to purchase fruit you will be amazed at the varieties you can choose from. You will find Florida oranges, kenips, mangos and coconuts are very plentiful.

English is the most spoken language but you may hear other languages from immigrants that reside on St. Thomas. Some of these languages may be Spanish, French-Patois and Creole. The majority of the population is Caribbean, but you will find people from all cultures that have made St. Thomas home. The residents of the Virgin Islands are religious people and the most popular religions on St. Thomas are Baptist and Catholic.

The local love storytelling and believe in superstitions. You will hear many stories about the infamous jumbies that reside all over the islands. These jumbies or spirits can be found anywhere according to the one telling the story.

The American dollar is the official currency of St. Thomas. Foreign money can be exchanged at all of the major banks and there are several local bank branches all over the island. The banks are open from 9am to 3pm Monday through Thursday. On Friday most of the banks are open only from 3pm to 5pm. A few banks can be found to be open on Saturday. All of the major credit cards are accepted as well as traveler's checks. Tipping is the same as it is in the United States and the customary tip is between 15 percent to 20 percent of your total bill. Some of the hotels on the island do charge a service fee, so tipping is not necessary.

Holidays in St. Thomas are the same ones that are celebrated in the United States. But, St. Thomas does have some of their own local holidays that are celebrated that you may enjoy partaking of while on vacation. These holidays include Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Monday, Organic Act Day on June 17th, Emancipation Day on July 3rd, Supplication Day on July 22nd, Thanksgiving Day on October 21st, and Boxing Day.

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See you on the Island, John "Big Hat" Walsh