Ndi Imo | Christmas and Christians: What does Christmas Mean to You?
Christmas and Christians: What does Christmas Mean to You?
Introduction:
Over the years, we have heard so many stories, rituals, celebrations, and explanations about what Christmas means. Of all the stories, it is crucial that we think about our personal stories, what we make of all the stories we have heard and experienced. Besides, how these stories reflect our understanding and expressions of Christmas; how Christmas has become part of our lived experiences in the few or many years, we have lived in this world. To understand the nuances and complexities of the meanings surrounding Christmas and how they are reflected in our lives, it is essential to look at the histories of Christmas as taught in the Church. Besides the enculturation resulting from the marriage between the European conceptions of Christmas and the indigenous cultures that happen as part of Christmas, the Christmas stories we experienced with our mothers, fathers, and relatives. We can think about how we might create our own Christmas stories and what Christmas means.
Christmas as a Childhood Celebration:
In my much younger years, I had one experience that can never be forgotten. One feature in the family was that there was so much cooking and preparation in the family. Part of the preparation was to get the roosters ready for those cooking it. I liked to watch my elder ones do that. But to catch the free range rooster was another level of fun. On this particular day, I joined in trying to catch the free ranger. It was a smart one and ran loose to the open field. I followed in pursuit. My attention was focused on the rooster that I failed to see the gardener who had on him the grass cutlass he was sharpening. I ran straight into him and the sharp cutlass went straight to the upper part of my right eyelid. Blood all over. I screamed! That brought an end to the run after the loose rooster. I was taken to the hospital to be treated. The mark of the stitches is still with me till date. Did it stop me from enjoying Christmas? No! That year Christmas was still celebrated and I enjoyed it with the bandage on my forehead. I still thank God that I did not lose my eye in pursuit of a Christmas rooster.
Another personal experience as a child was a visit to ''Father Christmas,'' ie. Santa Claus. I looked forward to it, though I never wanted him to carry me. He was more fearful to me with his big beard, covered face, and strong voice. Since I could not determine who was behind the cloak, he came up to me as one fearful creature. I only needed his gift, which could be toys or chocolates depending on one's luck, and sometimes both. "Father Christmas" was as well a metaphor for reward. Our parents then cautioned us to behave well and make good grades; otherwise, there would not be any "Father Christmas" for the person. And it worked. The visit to Santa Claus was accompanied by the air of celebration and relaxation with my cousins and relatives.
During this time, at least one is spared all those strict adherence to home chores, school work, and policing when one gets back home. Whether it was in the city where we lived or in the home country, it was the same. Amidst those visitations with family and relatives was much merry-making; food, drinks, and following the various masquerades that came around to entertain us either at home or along the streets. It was a lot of fun being in the company of cousins and other relatives who had traveled as well back to the village for the celebration. We were made buoyant due to the generosity of some of our big brothers and sisters, uncles, and aunts. And whatever we got from them, we purchased the popular tiny firework then called "knockout." We had fun blowing them to scare people. It was more like a competition to know whose quantity lasts the entire period of the holidays. We celebrated with family members we often do not meet in the year due to distance. The fraternity, hospitality, and generosity that greeted the time were immeasurable.
Another aspect of the Christmas celebration that I looked forward to was the Christmas Eve Mass and the carols. Those traditional Christmas songs like Silent Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, O Holy Night, etc., moved the spirit and have remained for me so peculiar for what they signify than any other. Then, after the midnight Mass, we will visit the Manger to pray and drop some money after prayers as gifts to the newborn Child Jesus. These childhood experiences are nostalgic for me. I believe that many of us had similar experiences. Because we are predominantly Christians in this part of the world, Christmas is a big deal in eastern Nigeria.
Celebrating Christmas in Different Cultures:
Among the Igbo, for instance, during Christmas, one witnesses several types of masquerades and local dances by the maidens according to different communities. While the young girls energetically danced to impress the audience, and visited homes with their colorful display, the young men could be seen with the masquerades. These indigenous cultures use the opportunity to display their various masquerades in their flamboyant attire and sometimes scary costumes. The idea is that it is part of the entertainment for the people. Though initially, these masquerades connoted some traditional religious sentiments and only stage out under particular circumstances, they have over time been infused into the Christian celebration of Christmas. Interestingly, it is acceptable to both Christians and non-Christians in the various communities. The display can be a long stretch on the roads that cause traffic glitches for commuters. The way the masquerades have become a standard feature during Christmas, we also observe several communities celebrating some of their cultural festivals around the time.
In many communities around Owerri, the ''Ugu Uzo” festival of the Emekuku clan and ''Ukazi'' among the Emii fall within the festive season of Christmas. They add to the fanfare of the season. Though rooted in the traditional religious beliefs of the people who are currently and predominantly Christians, they have influenced the Christmas celebration, and the Christmas celebration has also impacted their celebration and acceptance. The Ehime Mbano people also celebrate the "Iwa Akwa" Manhood Initiation rites around this time. It attracts a lot of people home either to participate in it or in solidarity, or both. The cultural festival is a galore to watch. It is a discussion for another day how these typical cultural items found their way around the Christmas season. Somehow, they could have influenced the celebration of Christmas and the particular cultural festival itself.
The effects of these joint celebrations may have encouraged communal unity and homecoming in droves among the different people. For many Igbo people, Christmas becomes a time of reunion for communities, clans, and families. During such reunion, many developmental issues are deliberated upon and significant decisions taken for the common good. Some communities use the opportunity of the homecoming to launch scholarships and award some to indigent students. In Amuzi, Ahiazu Mbaise, there is the Eze Cletus and Ugoeze Dorothy Oparaoji Memorial Education Foundation (ECUDOMEF) that selects the best student in Amuzi for scholarship award. Such programs can be seen as part of the Christmas celebration in some communities. There are several fundraising events for the different vital projects that can be beneficial to their respective communities. But such noble ideas are not limited to the community infrastructure and human development, but spill over to the sacred space like church building for the particular community. Some have also used the opportunity of the Christmas season to seek spouses, to do traditional wine-carrying and Christian weddings. Christmas is a different thing for different people. It takes a different perspective and particular persuasion to imagine the meaning of Christmas in its strictly religious understanding.
As celebrated in other cultures, Christmas portrays rich aspects of these cultures. In the western world, Christmas is celebrated as a season of joy and sharing. In the US, for instance, once Thanksgiving on the third Thursday of November is over, Christmas songs fill the air, and the street and home decorations are set up. It is striking that a Christian feast could still influence a secular culture. In Europe, North America and South American countries, it is the same feature of lavish decorations of lights and merry-making. Everything from the music to the decorations, the marketing, and good wishes are everywhere till the 26th day of December, Boxing day.
Boxing day is the day people in the US share their Christmas gifts. There is so much spent to get gifts for spouses, lovers, children, grandchildren, and parents. Sometimes the pressure it mounts on struggling individuals lead to depression. There have been cases where some people went on shoplifting to meet the demands of Christmas gifting. The merrier close-knit families gather together to celebrate; the harsh winter cold adds to the depression of the lonely ones without family or estranged from their families or loved ones and those without lovers. The situation affects the mental health of some and triggers suicide attempts. After Boxing day, the whole paraphernalia of Christmas is over, and people begin to pull down their decorations. However, the holiday season continues to the New Year eve. Unlike what happens back here among the Igbo, the Christmas celebration continues to mid-January.
Christmas Celebration in Time Perspective:
Christmas day has over time evolved into a season of weeks either before the 25th or after December 25, depending on which part of the world you are domiciled. But both in the west and among many indigenous cultures in Africa, especially among the Igbo, Christmas is a season of sharing and giving, a time of joy and celebration, of family reunions and stocktaking. Besides the traditional Christmas hymns that air from the radio and television stations, these hymns are used to market particular products for Christmas. Also popular around this time are the red and white colorful materials and costumes, Christmas trees, and beautiful Christmas cards. The commercial opportunity it offers marketers have also increased and expanded to the advantage of the capitalist mind. Both transporters and traders increase the fare of their goods and services. Those who deliver parcels are usually overwhelmed during this season. The question then is, do these reflect Christmas?
The Advent of Christian Tradition:
Christian believers acclaim the birth of Christ in the ancient near east as the coming of the Son of God, which Hebrew scriptures had foretold through their various prophets. Since God promised to visit his people and emancipate them, according to the revealed book of the Jewish people, many at the time believed that the anticipated Messiah was Jesus. The New Testament scriptures are central to this teaching and the narratives of the Virgin birth and the incarnation of the Son of God. Though there had been disputes on the exact date of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, since the 4th Century, the Church resorted to December 25 as a date to reckon. The date was instituted by Pope Julius I. Since then, the date has become a sacred day to celebrate the birth of the Child Jesus and the joy his birth brings to the world.
According to tradition, Easter Sunday was the principal feast of Christians. Not until sometime in the 4th Century did the idea of Christmas day become of interest. Some historians claim that the idea of Christmas was much earlier in the 2nd century. The relationship between December 25 and the celebration of the Sun god has been suggested as another conflicting narrative as to the reason for the choice of the date. Some scholars argue that the Church chose December 25 to replace the pagan Saturnalia festivals, which was popular as well. Among those who contested the idea of Christmas were the Puritans for the lack of a definite biblical record to a particular date.
Rather than encourage pagan practices that attracted so much attention at the time, the birth of Christ, which was considered another memorable moment of Christian history, was given prominence and used to juxtapose the pagan feast.
Before the instituted celebration of Christmas, for several years after the passion and death of Christ, the Church encountered much persecution at its early formative stage. Incidentally, the persecution in the hands of the various emperors of Rome did not deter converts from practicing their faith. During the first four centuries of the Church, she was silent and hiding. However, from the time of Constantine the Great, Christianity received a new hope that became significant to the history of civilizations.
Christmas became part of that essential part of human history and celebration. For as far as the Church spread in the then known world, Christian practices assumed a new dimension of fellowship. In many parts of the world, Christianity invaded cultures and soon became a culture itself. Consequently, nations and peoples have adopted Christmas as a season and a day to celebrate. The features mentioned above evolved. In the past several decades, dominant customs include decorations, sharing of gifts, and music and carols.
The Church teaches that Christmas is the birth of the world's Savior, Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, meaning God-with-us. The Church depends on the prophetic messages of the Jewish people to hold to this belief. Major Prophets like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah gave utterances to the coming of the "Messiah," who will be born through a Virgin maiden (see Isaiah 7:14).
When the Child Jesus was born in Bethlehem as recorded in the gospel in the New Testament scriptures (see Matt. 1:18-25; Lk 2: 1-20), God fulfilled his promise to send his only Son as Savior of humankind. Since the Child Jesus is seen as a gift of the Father of creation to a fallen world in need of redemption, his coming or nativity brings joy to the world and peace and reconciliation between estranged humankind and God. It calls for celebration. However, the world could have been ignorant and silent about such a significant moment in the history of salvation, so the angels broke out in a chorus of songs to praise what had happened on earth.
John Paul II says of Jesus, "the Redeemer of man, Jesus Christ, is the center of the universe and history." (RH 1). Jesus, being the conclusion of an epoch and birthing new dawn expresses an uncommon paradox. Therefore, all of humankind cannot ignore the birth of such a personality. From who he is to the world to who he is to us personally is an invitation to an inward journey.
The author of Saint Luke's gospel gives an account that the Child Jesus was born in a manger, for there was no room in the Inn. He was also born of simple parentage. (Lk 2:1-20) Articulating this peculiar divine option Howard Thurman writes: "… the birth of Jesus remains the symbol of the dignity and inherent worthfulness of the common man. Stripped bare of art forms… the literal substance of the story remains: Jesus Christ was born in a stable! He was born of humble parentage in surroundings that are the common lot of those who earn their living by the sweat of their brow. Nothing can rob the common man of this heritage. When he beholds Jesus, he sees in him the possibilities of life for even the humblest and a dramatic revelation of the meaning of God." (For the Inward Journey, 246). The birth of Jesus is worth celebrating for it fulfills the hope of many.
Conclusion:
Driving through the streets of Owerri and environs shows a sharp contrast of what the State looked like a few months ago. This is a State that was avoided for insecurity, bloodshed, violence, kidnapping and the menace of the “unknown gun men.” Besides, the economic crunch on people reached its unbearable degree. Those who come for hangouts have also increased in recent times. But this season, one observes the heavy traffic of vehicles and persons. It all points to the resilience of the Igbo man to celebrate Christmas. Christmas seems central to the Igbo man’s celebration of communal joy. I feel it should be commended.
So, while we eat and drink and celebrate in this season of joy, while we give and exchange gifts and cards, in the hustle and bustle of a commercial venture, let us be mindful of this: a child is born, a Son is given (see Isaiah 9:6). He is royalty, and his kingdom lasts forever. He is the reason for the season! What Christmas means to you will consciously and unconsciously determine how you celebrate it. Incidentally, there is an option for the poor and a privilege for the rich. One is hopeful because he can identify with the Child Jesus, and the other is challenged because he is called to share. I guess we can develop our various Christmas stories from these insights.
May we who celebrate the Nativity of the Lord be drawn closer to the meaning of the Child Jesus.
Merry Christmas!
