The Christmas spirit leads to more love, fun, happiness, a reflection of the year’s journey, and preparedness for the new year. For black people, Christmas is always tons of activities bubbling everywhere.
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Families unite and bond more during this period, and they celebrate this season like it’s their last. People go to their villages for get-togethers. Churches are always filled on Christmas eve. Fireworks are a special highlight of the occasion. In some places like Nigeria, masquerades come out to do their thing. Carnivals are hosted in every space known. And what’s Christmas for people of color without their special delicacies?
Check out these Black family Christmas traditions you could adopt this season!
Black Family Christmas Traditions to Try This Year
The knock-out ritual
If there are no fireworks in Nigeria during Christmas, it’s almost as if there is no Christmas. This ritual-like activity is called knock-out. In this activity, the people come out with banger fireworks of different kinds and rounds.
People leave their homes to watch children and adults play with the fireworks as they pull pranks on passersby. Most times they turn it into a war-play in the streets, having people running helter-skelter which is always fun to watch.
Most families make it a ceremony, make videos, and post them online. The excitement of the ritual derived from the lights and adrenaline rush that accompany the knockout sounds are always ecstatic!
Braaing all the way!
Braai is a well-liked South African barbecue. During Christmas, most families enjoy the weather and come out for braaing. They typically eat braai outside in their gardens or verandas. They also enjoy other delicacies like beef sausage, roast beef, and turkey. Other seasonal treats include vegetables, yellow rice, and Christmas pudding.
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Tanzania Christmas tradition
One unique thing about celebrating Christmas in Africa is that eating meat seems more like a ritual practice. Tanzanians take this seriously. They buy either a cow or goat earlier in the year. And they take care of the animal until it’s fattened and kill it on Christmas Eve. They prepare Swahili pilau, a spicy rice and meat dish served with chapati, for their Christmas dinner. Also, families share gifts with their neighbors to show love and respect.
Celebrate Christmas the Kenyan way
Christmas is a big deal to the Kenyan people. They plan big get-togethers to celebrate Christmas.
They prepare meals at these gatherings, typically consisting of goat (or cow) meat stew with vegetables and potatoes, chapati, or corn cake. In the celebration, they sing and dance around a fire with family and friends.
Nigerian End-of-the-year tradition
The Nigerian Christmas act of Community service is one of the unbeatable Black family Christmas traditions. Churches in Nigeria plan Christmas programs that encourage people (either alone or as a family) to visit homeless people, orphanages, and needy families. During these visits, church members present Christmas gifts, refreshments, food, and a choir performance to the people.
Door-to-Door Visits in Zimbabwe
In Zimbabwe, every family returns home after church on Christmas Day to celebrate and savor their particular specialties. After that, they go door-to-door visiting other extended families and friends to express their love and wish them well.
Christmas in Ghana
Christmas celebrations are usually very delightful in Ghana. Families use lights, candles, and dazzling ornaments to decorate their houses and neighborhoods. On Christmas Day, the festivities get going with a family meal that often consists of goat, vegetables, and soup, a church service for the entire community, and a festive parade.
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Christmas is celebrated all over the world and in different ways too. However, spending the season with family always stands out and keeps the love and bond alive. And these Black family Christmas traditions are a great way to do just that. Try adopting any of them this year and spread the love of Christmas!
Read Also:These 40 ‘Thanksgiving With Black Families Memes’ Are Freaking Hilarious
