Christmas
celebrations in African nations is characterized by
much outdoor activity because the season often
occurs during a time
when the weather is pleasant. Using palm trees and
participating in
processions are also characteristic features of
activities related to
Christmas in many parts of Africa.
In South Africa, activities that occur outside
during Christmas
include the usual caroling, but also the unusual
ones of swimming and
camping. The beach and mountains play an important
role during
Christmas in South Africa because the season occurs
during the hottest time of the year - summer.
Given the pleasant nature of the weather during
Christmas,
families also take advantage of it by often going
sightseeing in the
countryside on a relaxing drive in the late evening
of Christmas Day. A rich and sumptuous menu that
includes a suckling pig or roast beef,
turkey, mince pies, yellow rice, vegetables and
puddings usually makes
up the traditional South African Christmas dinner.
To create a festive environment, decorated pine
branches and fir,
sparkling cotton wool and tinsel are used in homes
and businesses as
decorations.
A similar decorative pattern of using evergreen,
palm trees and
lighted candles are also seen in countries such as
Ghana and Liberia.
While these are used in homes and businesses, they
are also often
carried in processions and during caroling
activities.
While South Africans gather at the beach during
Christmas time to
enjoy the warm summer waters, people in other
African nations often
gather outside at in town squares and in the streets
to march, sing and
enjoy an overall feeling of merriment.
Despite the seemingly general similarity in
activities, however,
countries have their own individual style that makes
Christmas
celebrations unique.
Of all the celebrations in African nations,
Christmas activities
in Ethiopia stand out for their difference in when
they are celebrated
and how it is done. One of the features that make
Ethiopian Christmas
different is that the main celebratory event occurs
on Jan. 7, around
the time known as the Epiphany or Three Kings Day in
North and South America.
Given the general modest economic financial
situations of a
significant number of the population in many African
countries,
Christmas celebrations also tend to occur over a
shorter period of
time, compared to activities in more wealthier
countries.
Another difference in celebrations of Christmas in
Ethiopia is the participation of various people who
take part in a pilgrimage and
converge on the capital city during Christmas Eve.
These wanderers fill
the night air with a din of praying and chanting and
create a
multicolor spectacle when they gather on Christmas
morning to have a
religious service.
But retaining a similarity with other African
nations, Ethiopians
enjoy a Christmas dinner that includes a meat stew.
Stews, rice, root
vegetables such as yams, breads and soups often are
part of the menu of traditional Christmas day
dinners in African nations.
Christmas dinners are likely enjoyed by families
outside, where
everyone shares the meal while sitting in a circular
pattern outside
under the shade of a sprawling tree, instead of
sitting in a formal
setting at a table.
As is the practice in every household during
Christmas, Africans
also exchange gifts. Popular items that are
exchanged as Christmas
gifts include cotton cloth, soaps, sweets, pencils
and books, all very
practical items that can be readily used. Again,
this may be related to
the modest financial resources of up to half the
population in many
African countries, as well as to cultural norms.
Individuals aren't
able to afford extravagant gifts but they still want
to surprise children, family and friends at
Christmas with an unexpected gift. The generally
pervasive cultural norm of humility and modesty that
exists among traditional African peoples, also plays
an important role in not having overreaching
extravagance at Christmas.