Hey Fam!
What do you love about Christmas these days?
Back in the day, it was…
The weather (Harmattan or Snow).
The communal living and family visits.
The special meals and bottles of drinks that we got to eat and drink.
The knockouts/fireworks we threw outside, or we watched others throw as we enjoyed the sounds.
The gifts and Christmas money from family and friends.
The carols we do at night from house to house.
The hymns we sang and the drama we do in church.
The Christmas Eve church celebrations, the joy and fun that followed.
The kindness and special treats we get from adults at home and everywhere.
The masquerades that paraded the villages every day. Some would enter people’s compounds to steer fun in many ways
And much more. The spirit is always high and the merry so lovely.
Being with extended families and playing with cousins and other relatives was the best part for me.
We would anticipate the fun and togetherness each year and wish for every day to be Christmas.
As a child, I thought that the village was always fun like it is during Christmas. For this reason, when I was 10, I refused to go back to Enugu with my parents after the new year. I was crying and begging my parents to allow me to stay in the village. That was how they left me to spend a whole year in the village and I experienced the flip side of village life.
Nowadays, a lot has changed in what Christmas used to be and I’m wondering what is left of these activities today? What do children now enjoy at Christmas
The concerts, cinemas, gallery exhibitions, house parties, bowling, and other indoor/outdoor games that technology brought?
The food and present bonanza? The Christmas tree decoration, wrapped gifts and family pyjamas?
Each Christmas reminds me how much some of these old beautiful traditions of the yuletide are gradually phasing out. We are left with stories to tell our children and to reminisce on those memories.
These days, Christmas is merely a time of reprieve from the demands of everyday life. Companies start to wind down operations. Some marketplaces close down for the season. Parents get to stay with their children who live away from home for studies or work. Families stay together in a sweet and contemplative mood, doing what makes them happy. Travelling to villages has reduced and many families enjoy their Christmas in towns.
Christmas is one of the
observable and recurring events on this planet. It gives us the opportunity to celebrate and also to pause and reflect on the important things around us.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
