Anual Homecoming

So, it's Christmas season again, and I'm super duper excited. Christmas celebrations are done differently in various places and by various people too.

Now., Let's talk about my place.

My country.

I'm an African man, whose country is Nigeria. And we have a lot of ethnic groups and languages too. Irrespective of the diverse traditions. In a season like this, everyone is just so excited about it.

We paint our various residential cities with ribbons, from pole to pole, Christmas lights, and trees at each corner of the street, reminding passers-by of the season we are into. You would not walk up to 10foots, without hearing a Christmas song, blaring from one shop or the other on the streets. The best are in hotels., Ohh!

How beautifully designed hotels will be this season. Especially in big cities such as Lagos, Portharcourt, Owerri, uyo.. to mention a few.

It's more like a competition to me when I see the luxurious designs ranging from hotel to hotel. I think this is a strategy too, to attract the bigger men to come lodge in with their ladies, and people in their friendship circles.

The Christmas season is always that time of the year when there will always be an increase in everything in the market, down to the least. Well, it is expected we spend most of our savings throughout the year during Christmas., So sellers would make a lot of profit during this season. And for average people, this is what we do.

We buy and stock our houses with food items just a month or so before December before the prices are inflated. And it saves us a lot since we have little to spend compared to the DON's of the area. (The big boys).

Well, as a simple person, this celebration is always exciting for me. I would go for Christmas service in the morning, just after I and the rest of my siblings, with the support of mom., Have finished preparing the usual Fried rice and chicken. As the guy in the house, butchering the chicken has always been my role. So that's what I do, then join the ladies in the kitchen, cut some veggies if not yet cut, gist while the food is being cooked.

Did I mention I was from an average family too?

I guess I didn't. Okay., My family isn't rich, and we ain't poor either. But by God's grace, we earn just enough to fend for our needs. As Christians, aside from the jolly and flexing part of Christmas, I and my family takes it upon ourselves to do some charity to the less privileged, as much as we can.

We bundle up clothes that are good, but outgrown by us, we buy new ones to add, half bag of rice, about 25 balls of onions, a carton of biscuits, a carton of juice, some pairs of shoes, varying in sizes, beverages, soap, detergent, toothpaste, half paint of crayfish and most lastly, some few enveloped cash to spare. We do this every year for as long as I can remember. Courtesy of my mum. In her voice; "Christmas isn't about the merriment, showing love on that day and within that period, is very important. That's the real definition of Christmas".

Wow! I'm grateful for mum. She actually thought us a lot about festive periods.

Aside from that, we cook and give out to neighbors and friends too. Lol, there is this particular church member of ours, a family too. They are more like neighbors since their house is just a stone's throw from ours. The wife and children are always bent on eating our meals because they are certain it's fried rice. We love theirs too, though it's mostly rice and stew, it's tasty.

The real thing

After 25th December, we then pack our stuff to travel to see grandma in the village.

While all these are going on, the streets are lit with so many vibes.. with kids, teenagers, and sometimes youths, shooting some loud and in-destructive mini bombs, we call "KNOCK-OUTS"

It makes sound like guns and that alone alerts the entire neighborhood that it's Christmas.

We travel home, and this is the real homecoming. We get to see distant relatives we haven't seen throughout the year, we get to see our grandma. Grandfather died over 30 years ago. Fortunately, it's just my maternal mom that's alive, so we go to see her during Christmas. Offloading a lot of foodstuffs, stockfish, groundnut oil, Maggi, cooking spices, salt, rice, mostly one bag, Dry fish, carton of noodles, biscuits, and juice for the children of my mom's relatives and siblings that will come around too.

It's just so fun, waking up to the cold harmattan, getting into the bush, and picking up already fallen sweet Udara seeds (Cheer). Taking a break from cooking with gas, and experiencing what cooking with the firewoods is like.

Playing and making new friends amongst relatives, welcoming visitors at the house all evening, and then, enjoying the comfort of steady electricity all through the night. The only put-off to me is the network that may not be always stable due to the fact we are in a rural place.

The Christmas season is indeed fun. You get to see your distant loved ones, taste what it means to live a village life. Go to the rivers and swim, go to festivals such as "Amala day" between communities, dancing and try to win a prize.

All images are from https://pixabay.com/

Enjoying simple life and seeing what it means to be back to your Root.

I love Christmas. It's not just all about celebration and enjoyment, but about love and care, helping and kindness to people around us. Relatives and non-relatives.

Merry Christmas in advance, and a happy new year too.

See you in 2022.🖤

This is my entry to #BCHNigeriaForumXmasChallenge by @Greatwolfman you

can see it here

23 Dec.2021, A CandyBoy Publishments