Christmas in Zimbabwe
December 25th 2006 20:25
Well the day has come and gone again for another year. I love this time, it has to be one of my favourite. People, for the most part anyways, are cheerful and friendly, kids laughter echoes down the streets and house sparkle with Christmas cheer. It is a magical time! I come from Africa and thought I would some Zimbabwean Christmas thoughts with ya'll:
Zimbabwe - this is the BEST country (sorry to everyone else, but we could not all have been born there
). We have the friendliest faces and the most beautiful scenery and the sunsets.....well you will never see one like it again! Unfortunatley we have fallen into the wrong hands and things have gone very pear-shaped for our beautiful home. Click here to read a fellow Zimbabweans account of Christmas 2006.
A traditional Zimbabwean Christmas will start with Church. At Christmas everyone dresses very smartly, wearing their best and newest outfits. The traditional name is KISIMUSI and there is a lot of singing and dancing involved in the celebrations. Normally the Christmas tree is decorated on Christmas Eve, with hand made decorations, and the presents opened Christmas morning. As people do not have a lot of money the presents are normall that of sweets and clothes or hand-made items. One of the men will be the one to hand out presents to everyone, normally the man of the house in which you are in. In the afternoon everyone gathers for a Christmas meal, which involves eating lots of bread and jam, and after that Christmas is pretty much over for another year.
Christmas falls during summer and is pretty hot around that time of the year, although most years we are blessed with rain. I cannot remember a Christmas when I was there that it did not rain on Christmas Day! Christmas celebrations are huge and normally involve big gatherings of family and friends. There is lots of eating, lots of drinking and lots of dads hijacking the kids Christmas presents! It seems that here in Australia, even though there are miles and miles of seas separating us we celebrate Christmas pretty much in the same way, it even rained a little yesterday!
Merry Kisimusi to you all!
(Some other ways to say Merry Christmas from other African countries:
How to Say Merry Christmas
In Akan (Ghana) Afishapa
In Zimbabwe Merry Kisimusi
In Afrikaans (South Africa) Geseënde Kersfees
In Zulu (South Africa) Sinifisela Ukhisimusi Omuhle
In Swazi (Swaziland) Sinifisela Khisimusi Lomuhle
In Sotho (Lesthoto) Matswalo a Morena a Mabotse
In Swahili (Tanzania, Kenya) Kuwa na Krismasi njema
In Amharic (Ethiopia) Melkam Yelidet Beaal
In Egyptian (Egypt) Colo sana wintom tiebeen
In Yoruba (Nigeria) E ku odun, e hu iye' dun!
source: http://goafrica.about.com/od/peopleandculture/a/christmas.htm)
So what are your Christmas traditions where you come from? And do you say 'Merry Christmas' differently?
Zimbabwe - this is the BEST country (sorry to everyone else, but we could not all have been born there
). We have the friendliest faces and the most beautiful scenery and the sunsets.....well you will never see one like it again! Unfortunatley we have fallen into the wrong hands and things have gone very pear-shaped for our beautiful home. Click here to read a fellow Zimbabweans account of Christmas 2006. Christmas falls during summer and is pretty hot around that time of the year, although most years we are blessed with rain. I cannot remember a Christmas when I was there that it did not rain on Christmas Day! Christmas celebrations are huge and normally involve big gatherings of family and friends. There is lots of eating, lots of drinking and lots of dads hijacking the kids Christmas presents! It seems that here in Australia, even though there are miles and miles of seas separating us we celebrate Christmas pretty much in the same way, it even rained a little yesterday!
Merry Kisimusi to you all!
(Some other ways to say Merry Christmas from other African countries:
How to Say Merry Christmas
In Akan (Ghana) Afishapa
In Zimbabwe Merry Kisimusi
In Afrikaans (South Africa) Geseënde Kersfees
In Zulu (South Africa) Sinifisela Ukhisimusi Omuhle
In Swazi (Swaziland) Sinifisela Khisimusi Lomuhle
In Sotho (Lesthoto) Matswalo a Morena a Mabotse
In Swahili (Tanzania, Kenya) Kuwa na Krismasi njema
In Amharic (Ethiopia) Melkam Yelidet Beaal
In Egyptian (Egypt) Colo sana wintom tiebeen
In Yoruba (Nigeria) E ku odun, e hu iye' dun!
source: http://goafrica.about.com/od/peopleandculture/a/christmas.htm)
So what are your Christmas traditions where you come from? And do you say 'Merry Christmas' differently?
| 84 |
| Vote |
Add To: 
subscribe to this blog
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
It was really interesting hearing about where you're from and the differences between cultures. I've never been to Zimbabwe, but it's definitely somewhere I'd like to visit. I've been to Morrocco and Egypt, but that's about all for African adventures and they were amazing....maybe one day....the travel bug is never far away from me....
Tracy
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Yes it is a beautiful country - dry bush hiding wildlife and birds of every colour and green mountains with waterfalls plunging into rockpools. Take a boat ride along the top of the waters of Victoria Falls and watch the hippos play as the sun sets over the mighty Zambezi River, listen as the fish eagles call to each other and watch as the stars set the night sky on fire - we have it all. Just a pity that at the moment it is in the wrong hands.
One day when it comes right again I suggest a visit and while you are there see the red sand dunes of Namibia, the pink flamingoes of Botswana, the white glowing beaches of Mozambique and the blue waters of South Africa. There is so much to see and do you will not be disappointed.
Hope you had a great Christmas
Ash
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
That all sounds amazing and like you said, hopefully one day the country will be in the right hands. Have you been back to visit since you moved to Australia?
I had a pretty good Christmas thanks, hope you did too,
Tracy
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
My Kisimusi was great thanks. I love it more every year!
I haven`t been back home in nearly 7 years now. The trouble was just starting before I left. Within the space of three months I was hijacked, with a friend who was mugged and found myself alone when a full scale riot errupted, complete with tear gas and cops with batons. I fled to England after that and a few years ago came to Aus. I miss Africa for its beauty, but it will be a while before I feel safe going back there. Lol I make it sound like a war zone, I bet everyone reading has just crossed it off their "Places I want to visit" list! I would highly recommend it to everyone, chances of anything happening are minimal you just have to be cautious, as with anywhere you go in the world these days. I will say that your trip will be one that you will never forget and your eyes opened to so much that you won`t even think about anything else. Happy travels!
Ash
Comment by LaurenD
LaurenD
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Hope you had a great one too!
Ash
Comment by Tracy
Movies and Life
I'm glad you had a Kisimusi. Gosh that story sounded so awfully scary. I can imagine that it's a place of much beauty but with some turbulence, what a pity. I would love to see it and hopefully one day I will. Are your family here with you?
Tracy
Comment by Ash
Flashes of memories
Yes as they say there is a price to live in paradise! It is just one of those things really, being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I think I was being given messages to leave a long time before and did not pay attention to them. Finally God grabbed me by the shoulders and said "HELLO NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" lol i love a little bit of adventure!
yeah i have no more family there, only a few friends now.
Ash
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by Steve
It is so nice to meet you. you sound like a very nice person.