Reuniting at Christmas: An age-long tradition

It is an annual ritual the Odedeyis must perform. They have never missed it in a single year. Travelling to visit relatives in Ondo town is a must-do for them. Christmas is a time of the year when they reunite with cousins, sisters, brothers and other relatives who live in different parts of the country.

Last Christmas, Seun Odedeyi met her cousins who relocated to Cote d’Ivoire in the 1980s and another cousin who lived in the far North whom she had not seen for 12 years. It was a time of the year they all look forward to, to exchange gift and share a family meal.

Christmas is a big event of the year, usually an exclusive family affair, celebrated with family members and friends. It is accompanied by a soothing blend of the deep tradition, gleam, lightness and parody.

During Christmas, a lot of families go for holidays and short trips as part of their family tradition, while those who have stayed away from home and family come back to spend the Christmas with their friends and family. According to culture and especially here in Nigeria, gifts and presents are also exchanged during this time.

Christmas traditions also include parties and gatherings, food is prepared along with drinks, new clothes are worn, etc. The market is now full of activities. Food and livestock are being sold and bought while many families are already travelling for the holidays.

Uche Akunna, an undergraduate, says he loves Christmas. So, anytime Christmas is around the corner, Uche travels to Cotonou for his shopping where he buys his clothes and shoes and also some that he would sell.

“My own family tradition is that,” says Uche, “I will first go to market to buy new pair of shoes, jeans, T shirts, shirts and other things necessary for the celebration. After that, I will set to travel on December 24, so that I will get home on the eve of Christmas which is always very enjoyable. Just before I travel, I will go and get football kits for myself because we normally have a football competition in my place, which I am one of their players. In fact, I am a midfielder in my team.”

However, Adachukwu Ugo says she makes sure her children get the best of every Christmas they have had and would have more than herself. She says she has seen many Christmas celebrations and wants her children to celebrate the season too, so she makes sure she buys new clothes for the children.

As part of their family tradition, Ugo travels to her village with her family every Christmas but they would not travel this year as her husband is ready to take her and the children out this Christmas.

For Tolulope Aduke, her family Christmas tradition is that, “my husband buys new clothes for me and the children and we visit some places, even the museum, just to relax after a hectic academic session in school. Though we normally visit such places once in a while but it is normally a must do on that day. Our children have become fond of going out on that day. So, it is something we use to make them know that that day is special.”

Also, on Christmas day as part of the tradition, and as the mother of the house, I will prepare different dishes, though rice and salad with sauce must be among the delicacies the family eats before we go visiting.

Also, Shola Abayomi says: “Christmas is like an ordinary day and funny enough this Christmas does not fall on a Sunday. So, for me there’s no much preparation. While remembering that it is the birth of Jesus Christ, I make sure that the family looks good and happy.”

So, as part of the family Christmas tradition, he gives them the maximum support and assistance for Christmas by buying nice clothes for his wife and children. He also gives his wife money to shop and prepare the Christmas food.

Christmas, especially for children, is usually fun, according to Abayomi, who notes: “It is also very expensive and there are several problems that come up like accidents, armed robbery, etc. I do not like spending much during Christmas because of January. Things are also usually very expensive in January as a result of the expenses done in December. So, I normally reduce my expenses so as to know where to fall back on in January.”

But Christmas is not just about the clothes but about going to church and celebrating with neighbours, family and friends and going home to enjoy a highly anticipated meal. From early November, my mother would begin gathering ingredients for “Christmas.”

“A bag of rice, several chicken and almost every week she would bring home few bottles of red wine and other things needed, in fact I have always enjoyed my family Christmas tradition,” says Morenike Alabi.

By: ANNE AGBAJE