I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such an exhausting Christmas Day! A sketch of Christmas Day 2009:
7:00AM / Opened presents packed in my carry-on backpack by my family…I was in bed…in my pajamas…under a beautiful light blue mosquito net…shedding several tears as I realized it was my first Christmas away from my family and I was opening gifts without them…ALL BY MYSELF
10:00AM-1:00PM / Prayers at Ndekye Church of Uganda…afterwards, a brief visit at the home of my friends Tusiime & Moses
1:30PM / Took in a Fanta soda at Doreen Hotel…the girls at Doreen (waitresses) were all gussied up in their Christmas Day dresses...the restaurant didn’t seem to be open yet since it’s Christmas Day…ended up with a free lunch, courtesy of Pasaki (the manager)…toured the upstairs which officially opened that very day
4:00PM / Headed back to Tusiime’s to walk with her to The Cave for some sort of community-wide celebration…along the way I saw my friend Richard, who bought a couple of sodas, hard-boiled eggs, and biscuits (cookies) for me and Tusiime (we stopped to enjoy the treats and visit)…then, finally, THE CAVE…traditional dancers took the stage, then eventually the evening turned into a community-wide dance party…sipped down a soda…and headed back to Tusiime’s before it got too dark
6:30PM / Another visit with Tusiime’s family…ate some food…received a couple of gifts from her and her mother
8:00PM / Stopped by Doreen for a soda and enjoyed the upstairs where music videos play
10:00PM / Unwound from all the walking, visiting, dancing…exchanged a few greetings with the few neighbors who didn’t flee to a village somewhere…sent off a few texts…Zzzzzzz
Usually, my Christmas Day consists of being at my parents’ house for breakfast or brunch…opening gifts with my parents and grandmothers…my sister and her family arrive for lunch…then a little more gift-giving…then be lazy the rest of the afternoon by occasionally eating buffet-style, soaking up heat in front of the fireplace, playing with my niece and her new toys, listening to music, some friends may stop by (we used to go visit friends when I was younger)…just being LAZY.
But Christmas is the time of year when Ugandans really CELEBRATE!!!! There are usually various church services throughout the week. Lots of visiting, drinking, and eating. It is said that Ugandans won’t go out to eat like we do…won’t buy Christmas decorations like we do…they save up all year long so they can afford the cost of lots of food and drinks to really enjoy Christmas and New Year’s.
There may not be as much gift-giving in Uganda as there is in the United States, but there is some. The biggest market day of the year is actually the monthly market day in early December. That’s when more vendors than usual will appear. There is a much larger selection of items to choose from…and plenty of people willing to make a deal!
For anyone who wonders if they know about Christmas in Africa, the answer is “YES.” At least, in Uganda they do!
Ninkwendeza Noiri! [Happy Christmas!]
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