A HOT CHRISTMAS

This was an entry in my December Newsletter. If you don't receive them and wish to, email me at nickjimenez8@gmail.com.

My morning started off great as I started to make some French toast for the occasion. I rarely make French toast, but a fellow volunteer - Jen Hiscock - had given me some syrup for Christmas. Other than that everything was shaping up to be a regular morning in my community.

Then my co-worker Douglas came by and gave me my second present of the day. The office was doing something small for all the workers, and I had been given a goat. I called him Shaky, because it was very scared. I knew that it would only be about 12 hours until I ate him.

Douglas explained to me that before Christmas, parents will buy their children a very nice outfit. Then on Christmas people would dress their best and go to church. Following church, children would go door to door and visit their neighbours. Everybody is responsible for preparing a large meal – rice and some meat. Then it turns into an activity similar to ‘trick or treating’, where going door to door, everybody must provide food or some money to their guests.

So following church with my family, we went round to greet some of my friends (and of course to eat some rice and meat). The last friend I was to visit was Douglas, and he had told me that this year his church had planned some games and a small party for the children. When Jen and I arrived the music was playing and the kids were playing games. It wasn’t long before we too joined in the dancing.

The whole experience was quite interesting and I drew a few comparisons. The biggest difference I saw was in the amount of purchasing people did before the holiday. Because people don’t exchange an excessive amount of gifts, there is not as big a push to buy presents for everybody before the big day. The emphasis is on the day itself, and more people will worry about the drinks they serve and the meat they prepare.

As for going door to door, it’s similar to the evening meals we prepare for our families. The only difference is, here because the town is so small and weather so hot, everybody can just walk to their relatives. What I like about this Ghanaian style of Christmas, is that the emphasis is entirely on the whole spirit of the day. The focus changes from the objects you give to others, to the company you share with loved ones. Once evening set in, the day pretty much finished. I ended the day by eating a 5^th meal, which would end up making me sick the next morning.