Weekly Reflections #22: Christmas Traditions Around the World

A season to dance and make merry is finally here, Christmas is a day of celebration all over the world, especially for children because on this day they are given special treatment by their parents.
In Nigeria, this is the best day in everyone's life because as Christians Jesus christ is being born into the world so we have to celebrate him by sharing love with one another and also being generous.

What does Christmas mean to you and your family?

A season of joy and laughter, you can see joy all over their faces

Christmas means everything to me and my family, a season for us to have fun and enjoy ourselves to the fullest, it is also the perfect opportunity for us to spend quality tike together and create lasting memories because everyone will be together as it is holiday period.
Christmas is the time we have a family gathering together so as to discuss how to move our family forward.

From January to December we struggle to survive in our daily life due to the economic situation of my country, and also sometimes our plans for the year becomes unsuccessful but that doesn't mean that we should kill ourselves or not have a reason to celebrate the festive season, me and my family no matter what always celebrate Christmas because it has a special memories in our life.

The fact that we are alive is a reason for us to be happy so me and my family and I make sure to celebrate it like it's our last day on earth.
Before that day we all go for Christmas shopping with my family so that we can select our favourite outfit for that day this is to show how special this day it to us.

How do you and your family celebrate Christmas?

Me and my family celebrate this day in a very special way to create memories in our heart, we usually select a particular location every year so we can have fun together and also brings ideas on how to grow our family, this culture have really helped in maintaining peace and harmony in our family.

^{The goat 🐐 that me and my brother butcher during last years Christmas celebration 🎅 🎄}

As a livestock trader, every year, we kill one goat every year to celebrate Christmas with our neighbours, friends, and family.
I am the one who always kills and butchers the meat as I am very good at it.
We cook diffraction delicacies with the goat mean and Shere it to our loved ones on that day because it is a season of joy and merriment.

^{The delicious meal my mum prepared during last years Christmas celebrations}

My parents usually buy new clothes for everyone so that we can look sharp on that day, since is Jesus christ the saviour of the world that we're celebrate we always go to church on the eve of Christmas to listen about the importance of Christmas and what it signifies in our life, I know lost of us don't know the meaning of Christmas celebrations.
It is a time for us to show love to our another, a time to be generous and also a time to forgive those who have hurt us in one way or the other.

Are there any special decorations, foods, or customs?

Of course, yes, in my country, Nigeria, they are special decorations during the festive season because it is special to us.

^{If you look closely to the picture, you will notice a Christmas decorations, this how almost every plcae will be decorated}

You will see Christmas trees all over the place, special light decorations that the environment to look beautiful and charming.
They are some places that whenever you visit them during Christmas, they give promo and discount to all their customers just to show an appreciation to them.

Talking about the custom yes, we have different dress code on this special day, they are different group that organised themselves just to spice things up and als venues will be open for celebrities to come and perform for us, you will have the opportunity to meet your favourite celebrity physically which is a thing of joy.

Recently I just noticed that there's a place in Nigeria infact uyo city to be precise where we have Christmas village a very beautiful place that when you visit you will not want to return because of the wonderful atmosphere there.
This platform only function during the festive season, and you can buy any type of food they.
Once you visit there you will surely want to visit there over and over again because of how beautiful the environment looks.

^{A moment i will never forget in a hurry, this is indeed the best season of the year}

	Really enjoyed myself

People stay there till dawn to have fun

People go there with their loved ones, family members, friends, and also their partners to have fun.
I was amazed when I saw how the environment looked like it was very lively, and people were very many with different locations for different events.
I can confirm that the Christmas season is a special day in the life of every christian living in Nigeria.

On this day everyone cook the food that they love most, this is a season of merriment and it only happens once in a year.
We make sure to spend money to buy all the ingredients needed to prepare our special meal.

What are your favourite memories from past Christmas celebrations?

When I was still growing me and my friends always walk together after church to visit our neighbours to wish them a merry Christmas so that they will give us money to save, this was a tradition in our area and sometimes you will see us running to a particular house we know that money will come out.

We only accept money from people and not food because we are afraid of food poisoning, but unfortunately we met a woman who promised to give us 100 NGN each but the condition was only if we eat her meal.
We started contemplating within ourselves, some ate and some refuse to eat but for me I ate and enjoyed myself to the fullest and after that we were given double of what we were earlier promised and I was very excited.

When I come back home, i will give my mum the kkeny to keep for me so that when school resumes, I will be taking it to school bit by bit, and she agreed.
When it was time I went to my mum to give me some of the money to take to school did you know what she said.

My mum told me to pay her money for taking good care of me when I was young, she also ask me to pay her money for all the food that I have been eating.

It was so emotional and at the same time funny so I had to let go of the money, each time I remember this scenario I will just be laughing alone this Christmas memory will always remain with me forever.

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Spending quality time with my friends who I haven't met for a long time during last years Christmas celebrations was a special moment for me.

We had a moment of our life together, we visited each other house to eat and make merry and we also had a get together which we discussed very well and also recall our childhood memory that made everyone to be laughing.
We did funny this in our past, so seeing each other grown up was a good and happy moment for me.

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Christmas is indeed a wonderful season for everyone and I am happy to share my experience with you all, indeed it isba joyful season and I am already making plans to make this year own more memorable.
I pray we celebrate Christmas peacefully with our loves ones.

^{I am inviting @simonnwigwe, @josepha, @pandora2010 and @teukuipul87 to participate in this wonderful contest}