In January 1919, the US Congress ratified the 18th Amendment, banning the manufacture, sale and transport of alcoholic beverages. The United States purchased the Danish West Indies, which included St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. John, from Denmark just a few years earlier. The economy of the islands, in particular St. Croix, had long been tied to the manufacture of rum. “Prohibition” ended in 1933 when the 21st Amendment repealed the 18th.
St. Thomas born poet José Patrick Gimenez authored several poems that spoke of prohibition’s effect on the territory, including "Talking bout Xmas in de Virgin Isles". The poem is found in Jose Patrick Gimenez's book "Virgin Islands Folklore and Other Poems" published in 1933.
José Patrick Gimenez (1893-1953) was born in St. Thomas on March 17, 1893. He was a poet and composer. He wrote in English, Spanish and West Indian dialect. He had many popular songs, wrote several books, was a great public speaker, a merchant, and a correspondent for the Puerto Rico Herald. (Source: Profiles of Outstanding Virgin Islands)