African Christmas
Taken from Doing December Differently - Book
contributor: Jesse N.K. Mugambi (Wild Goose Publ)
Description
African Christmas
When I think of Christmas as celebrated by those who are non-African and nontropical, I wonder how the birth of Jesus came to be associated with midwinter. The stories in the gospels do not indicate birth in midwinter or mention anything about midwinter rituals. But this is perhaps beside the point. Those of us living along the equator have no experience of the four seasons. It is summer all year round along the equator. So it makes little sense to peg the birth of Christ to cultural rituals associated with winter.
Turning to another point, many cultures do not celebrate birthdays. Rather, initiationinto adulthood is much more important. In the liturgical calendar introduced to Africa through the modern missionary enterprise, the celebration of Christ’s birthday became normative, whereas Mary and Joseph would not have celebrated the birthdays of Jesus...
Taken from Doing December Differently by Nicola Slee and Rosie Miles. Click here
When I think of Christmas as celebrated by those who are non-African and nontropical, I wonder how the birth of Jesus came to be associated with midwinter. The stories in the gospels do not indicate birth in midwinter or mention anything about midwinter rituals. But this is perhaps beside the point. Those of us living along the equator have no experience of the four seasons. It is summer all year round along the equator. So it makes little sense to peg the birth of Christ to cultural rituals associated with winter.
Turning to another point, many cultures do not celebrate birthdays. Rather, initiationinto adulthood is much more important. In the liturgical calendar introduced to Africa through the modern missionary enterprise, the celebration of Christ’s birthday became normative, whereas Mary and Joseph would not have celebrated the birthdays of Jesus...
Taken from Doing December Differently by Nicola Slee and Rosie Miles. Click here
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