This archive report was first published on 14 December 2019.
Christmas in the Village: A Time for Celebration ¶
Published on December 14, 2019, at 7:26 PM
Christmas in the village is a time for celebration, and there are several things that make it complete. From house renovations to buying new clothes, villagers go all out to make the festive season special.
One of the common things that villagers do to usher in the Christmas season is renovate their houses. This is a tradition that is deeply rooted in the culture of the village, and it is a way of ensuring that Jesus Christ is born in a clean and safe place.
"We do this to ensure Jesus Christ is born at a clean and safe place," said one of the villagers.
Another thing that villagers do is buy new clothes. While those who live in towns can buy clothes at any time, villagers rarely buy clothes before Christmas. They start saving a few coins in pots dug under their beds in preparation for the day.
Putting on new fashionable clothes in the village on Christmas is common. It is a time for villagers to dress up and look their best.
Christmas in the village is also a time for change of diet. While those in town eat mandazi or chapatis every day, villagers eat arrow roots or sweet potatoes. However, when those in town do away with chapatis, villagers believe their Christmas was incomplete.
Other foods that villagers consider a must-eat during Christmas day vary from community to community. For instance, those in the Luhya land believe there must be black ugali with chicken, while those in Central Kenya feel there must be mokimo and goat meat for them to feel the day was awesome.
Christmas in the village is also a time for Christmas carols' competitions. Villagers start practicing singing carols as early as November to ahead of presentation competitions usually done on the Christmas Day.
Several branches of churches put together their best singers, dancers, and reciters of scriptures and poems ahead of the competition day where winners carry home different prizes.
Meeting long-time friends is also a common thing that villagers do during Christmas. For instance, if a family has only one of their colleagues in the capital city, they expect to meet him/her on the big day.
They believe his or her presence will make the celebration better because they will receive gifts and goodies when they join them for the festive season.
Netizens shared their own Christmas experiences, highlighting the importance of family and friends during the festive season.
