Celebrate Gullah Culture Month
February is Gullah Culture Month. If you aren’t familiar with the Gullahs ( or Geechees, depending on the region), they first came to America from Africa as slaves. Today, many of the descendants still live in the same areas as their ancestors- along the coastal areas of South Carolina to northern Florida, known as the "Gullah/Geechees Corridor."
One of the more fascinating features of this population is the fact they have kept a lot of their traditions and ways of life (includes language, crafts and beliefs) intact. Pretty amazing in today’s 24/7, have-to-have-it-now, technological society.
Want to learn more? Consider the following:
- During the entire month, Hilton Head Island, S.C., hosts the 12th Annual Gullah Celebration. The festivities include Gullah Film Festival and Taste of Gullah.
- Take a tour. The Gullah-N-Geechie Mahn Tours in St. Helena, S.C., takes you to Penn Center Museum, and the Oaks Plantation. The Gullah Heritage Tour in Hilton Head Island explores Gullah family compounds and Plantation Tabby Ruins. Gullah Tours in Charleston, S.C., includes seeing Catfish Row, Jones Hotel and the Old Slaves Market. Geechee Tours are offered by locals Cornelia and Marcus Bailey on Sapelo Island, Ga. The Geechee Gullah Saltwata Tours, based in Savannah, Ga., is a four-hour day tour highlighting the culture.
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