Continued from Part One...

Haitians in Haiti and around the world will celebrate Independence Day with the traditional pumpkin soup (soup joumou in Creole). Having the soup is more than part of the Haitian culture. It is a statement of their freedom. When the French were in rule, the slaves were not allowed to enjoy pumpkin soup. It was a privilege for the French colonists only. Legend has it that on the first Independence Day a celebration was held. A large pot of pumpkin soup was made in the city of Gonaives, and served to everyone present. It was a way of bonding the Haitian people, and signified that they were no longer slaves. These days, it is eaten for tradition, as well as good luck for the New Year.

Soup Joumou (serves 6)

 meat rub made by grinding 4 garlic cloves 1 teaspoon thyme 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 2 sliced scallions into 2 teaspoons of salt
 1-pound piece of beef stew meat
 3 quarts water (more, later in the cooking, as needed for a soupy consistency)
 1 scotch bonnet or habanero pepper left whole with stem
 2 pounds pumpkin (or winter squash like butternut), peeled and chopped
 2 carrots peeled and sliced
 2 stalks celery sliced lengthwise and cut into pieces
 1 large onion cubed
 2 medium turnips peeled and cubed
 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
 1 pound malanga peeled and cubed (if not available, substitute 3 more potatoes)
 1 pound cabbage sliced fine and chopped
 1/4 pound vermicelli or other thin pasta, broken into shorter lengths
 2 limes juiced

1. Rub the meat with the spice paste and let marinate for at least an hour.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a large soup pot, add the meat and chile pepper, cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 hours.
3. Add the carrots and pumpkin, cover the pot, and cook until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove meat and pepper from the pot, discarding the pepper. Puree the pumpkin and carrots in the broth and pour back into the pot. When the meat is cool enough to handle, cut it into cubes and add back into the pot.
4. Add the celery, onion, turnips, potato, and malango cubes to the soup, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Thin the broth with as much water as needed--it should not be too thick.
5. Scrape in the cabbage and cook 15 more minutes. Thin again with water, as needed.
6. Add the broken vermicelli and cook until it is tender. Thin again with water, as needed.
7. Taste and correct for seasoning with salt and pepper. Stir in the lime juice.
8. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let sit until ready to serve.

Recipe courtesy of HaitiXChange

Eating pumpkin soup on January 1st is important. However, Haitians do not cook a lot of food on New Year's Day, because they are preparing for the Ancestor's Day celebration. On New Year's day, they clean the house and prepare the turkey for the feast of the following day. This is the biggest meal of the year; animals are slaughtered and everyone's best is served. On January 2nd, they officially celebrate their independence with a tribute to the ancestors who fought for Haiti's independence. Friends and Family will gather together and celebrate, the President will address the nation, and parades will take place.