Thinking Of An African Christmas
Sep 22nd, 2008 by admin
Christmas in Africa is all about outdoor activities for at this time of year in that part of the world the weather is often pleasent. You may find people utilising palm trees and taking part in processions which are amongst many of the popular christmas time activities that take place in South Africa, Other activities that you may find happening at christmas time in Africa is camping and swimming, and of course what would christmas be without caroling. Going to the beach and visiting the mountains are also two other popular activities during christmas time, because in South Africa this special season just happens to be their hottest season of the year.
Many families in Africa take advantage of this pleasent weather at christmas time by taking a stroll in the countryside, or by doing some sight seeing,or even taking a relaxing drive late in the day of Christmas. You may be wondering what kind of Christmas dinner Africans divulge on, well it’s not too different from ours. You may find the people of Africa feasting on turkey, roast beef, vegetables, yellow rice and mince pies on.
Decorations in Africa at Christmas time are also not too different from our own. They use glittering cotton wool and sparkly tinsel to decorate pine and fir trees in businesses as well as homes to produce a beautiful festive atmosphere. Similarly the people who reside in Liberia and Ghana use decorations similar to this, whilst also using festive lighted candles. They can also be seen being carried during carol services and processions.
However not all Africans spend Christmas day at the beach. many people from other parts of Africa enjoy gathering at their town squares or in their streets to take part in the merriment by singing and marching. In spite of the many similarities of Christmas activities, every country has a different way of celebrating this special day, that makes them unique.
Out of all the different celebrations that happen in the African nations, the ones in Ethiopia are probably the most different. Not only are their celebrations different but the date in which they celebrate is different too. In Ethiopia they celebrate Christmas on January the 7th. This day is also known as Three Kings Day or the Epiphany in some parts of America. Another thing you might see in Ethiopia during Christmas time is many people meeting in the capital city on Christmas Eve to participate in a pilgrimage. You might hear them filling the Christmas skies with chanting and praying during their religious services. However Christmas is not celebrated completely different from other African countries, they still enjoy the very festive dinner of meat stews, breads, soups, root vegetables and rice. In Africa most families enjoy Christmas dinner outside, where they sit together in the shade of a tree. They do not take part in a traditional formal dinner sat tat the table.
Just like nearly every other house at Christmas time, most Africans also exchange presents. Practical gifts are usualy given to each other like books, pencils, candy, and cotton cloths. This could be because of the humble financial resources that are available to many African families. Despite lack of funds they just like us still want to surprise loved ones with a gift. Another difference between African countries and others is that Christmas tends to be celebrated for a shorter amount of time, this again may be down to modest financial situations of a large number of African families.
