Christmas memories

We all have Christmas memories however bad or good. Mine can be too in three stages which are: In the village; Urban and thousands of miles away from home.

Village

Christmas memories in the village was simple. I come from a large family and most of my siblings were still living in my parent's homestead. On Christmas Eve evening, we yelled siku kuu which in Kiswahili means a big day. We threw makeshift flares. Other kids from the village did the same.

Dad and mom meticulously planned for the day. To us this meant good food and new - which is relative - clothes. The rest were just details. Mom busily baked on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas day we had an early breakfast and it was a tradition to go to church at one of the central place, a divisional headquarter. The advance party comprised the little ones - Sunday School equivalent. Later, the adults joined the fray.

Church service was long! Sometimes, we missed lunch. What made the Church service long was a lively internal rivalry between various branches. It was a competition on who could give the most - our version of Gift Tuesday!

We anticipated the after Church activities which just meant eating what had been prepared. The annual gathering continued until some of us went to high school away from home and others moved to the big city.

Urban

The second part of my Christmas memories started at high school. At the end of my first year, I made the trip back home for Christmas. Since it was possible to stay in school during the holidays (vacations), I selected to do so because it meant we saved a lot on my transport and other necessities. During Christmas, it was difficult to get a means of public transport to the village.

I remember waking up at about 3 am to go and line up to purchase a ticket - and often missed. The alternative was to travel to Mombasa where the school had a 'White House' and why not, I had not been to Mombasa.

At school, we would also have a special meal - the second time of the year - because we also had a special day when we celebrated the founding of the school.

After school, most of my siblings had by now started their careers and the annual pilgrimage to the village was rare. Some made it while others did not. In the city, I would alternate between attending an all-night Christmas Service that ended at 6 a.m. and going for a Christian concert at one of the venues.

This is how it worked, if I attended a Christmas kesha, I would, on December 31st go for an end of the year concert. This went on for a few years until I crossed the seas.

Across the seas

It was a different experience, a different culture and lots of learning to do. Unlike in my country where Christmas was celebrated in a different way, my new location had their own version of Christmas. Mostly, the theme was centered around gifts and decorations.

For the first time, I learned there was someone called Santa who was readily recognizable by the way he dressed. Santa also had gifts for most people. You had to be good to get a gift!

This was all new to me. Unlike at home where everything almost stopped because it was Christmas, here, there was freedom. You could go to Church or not! At home it was almost obligatory. Most of the shops were closed during Christmas except a few which offered essential services such as food items.

The hype/vibe across the seas was different. Perhaps the two similarities were family reunions which meant lots of traveling and the shopping frenzy!

Personally

With time, I have moved away from being attached to dates. So Christmas to me does not have to be only one day in a year. It is continuous. This is mainly because I realize there are some who are facing different situations. Some of my friends are preparing to say farewell to loved ones, others may be struggling.

Therefore, at Christmas time, I reflect and acknowledge the challenges - bad or good - each of us is going through. Whatever Christmas means to you, give thanks.