2011 CHRISTMAS: A Yuletide And Fresh Fears
‘You are asking me a question you know the answers to yourself,’ she quips. When she sees the determination to get further response, she finally responds. ‘This is the worst Christmas for me. I have never had it so bad. That is why I am sitting down here. I am simply tired of everything. All […]
‘You are asking me a question you know the answers to yourself,’ she quips. When she sees the determination to get further response, she finally responds. ‘This is the worst Christmas for me. I have never had it so bad. That is why I am sitting down here. I am simply tired of everything. All the sources of getting money have dried up for me. As I am sitting down here I have no money on me. So how do you expect me to enjoy the Christmas?
Jessica’s response is typical for a lot of respondents. Many say that this year’s Yuletide celebration for them is grim due to the economic downturn in the country. The usual flamboyance and expensive lifestyle embarked on by many families seem to have been jettisoned for a more frugal celebration. Despite this, the parks are still full with travellers taking off to various parts of the country in order to spend the season.
‘People try as much as possible to save enough money to buy new clothes, shoes, foodstuffs in order to be at their best during the yuletide, since it is an annual celebration. But it is quite unfortunate that in as much as people will like to enjoy their lives to the fullest during the celebration, the economic hardship which has culminated into scarcity of money, sudden hike in the prices of food items and other commodities, as well as the security challenges in the country, have posed a lot of constraints to their level of celebration,’ says Kehinde Ayobiewe.
Kola Badmus, clutching his bags, says he is just back from Akure on a short trip home to visit his family members residing there. He says he would also be going back to spend the Christmas and New Year celebrations with them. ‘Many of us just work here in Abuja. It is during seasons like this that we can afford to spend time with our loved ones. We just have to make the sacrifice even though it may not be comfortable finance wise. But to be fair, transport fare seems to be stable. I usually spend between N2,5OO and N3,000 to transport myself to Akure. I paid N3,000 this time around. I actually thought it would skyrocket because of the situation on ground as concerns fuel availability but I was pleasantly surprised that I didn’t have to pay through my nose this time.’ For the young man, of course, he is willing to take one step at a time as he says he is not bothering himself about the possible hike in fare price when he is coming back due to the proposed fuel subsidy removal by the authorities. ‘We will cross the river when we get there,’ he brightly enthuses.
At the Jabi Park, many buses can be seen loading passengers for trips to different parts of the country. Passengers say that the fuel situation in the city has not affected fares outrageously as normally the case even though there are slight increases in some cases. ‘It is still at manageable levels. The fares paid for trips to many parts of the country have only been increases slightly in some cases,’ a passenger notes.
Comrade Kayode Olaifa, an official of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Jabi chapter agrees that transport fares have remained stable despite the crisis in the country at present. He equally assures travellers that there would equally be stable fare prices whenever they come back after festivities. ‘People do not need to fear about fare hike. We are making every possible effort to make these affordable. In Jabi, for instance, travellers usually surge to the park on the day before Christmas and on Christmas day. The same thing happens on New Year eve and New Year day. These are the days that activities are high in the park. But on other days the crowd is not really much as you will notice. Patronage this time of course is not as it was before I must confess however.’
He adds that sensitisation and awareness programs organised in conjunction with the federal road safety corps, FRSC have been done for the drivers to ensure that they comport themselves on the roads while conveying travellers during the season. ‘We had a massive sensitisation programs for our drivers during the week. There we stressed the need for them to drive safely during this period so as to reduce carnage on our roads. We are hopeful that incidences of road crashes will be minimal during this period,’ Olaifa prayed.
People should endeavour to place the vital priorities in place during this season and not end up abusing the rationale behind the celebrations, says Sunny Nwachukwu. He enthuses: ‘this is a season for sober reflections and stock-taking (spiritually, socially and economically). It is a season, when people unwind from the yearly socio-economic activities (all known engagements) and return to their respective villages (mostly observed among some of them from the Eastern part of the country) to celebrate this coming great event; which is also a period of rest for workaholics. It is a period one is expected to relax and stop feeling anxious about the things of this world (the pride of life) and focus on Christ’s teachings.’ He adds also that, ‘this season exposes everyone to lots of social interactions/engagements and, we need to go about them with caution, it demands self control for whatever thing one needs to do; moderation is it because, overindulgence is bad. We should not get carried away with the excessive provisions of food & drinks (which is obvious for wining & dinning). We must remember that the physicians always caution against being obese or trapped with all kinds of heart related diseases through excessive eating so, we must escape from it.’
Prophet Adekunle Samuel, on his part, says the year has been a fruitful one for him despite tremendous challnges that have been faced by Nigerians. He opines that people should look beyond the current challenges to the One who can sustain in all situations. ‘When people talk about the year being a terrible one and the season very hard, I just ask them one question: would you rather prefer to be dead. Life should be celebrated in all situations. A living dog is much better than a dead lion the Holy Book says. The fuel subsidy crisis raging at present does not bother me one bit. I always depend on God for sustenance and not by my own means. That is how I view sitautions that I come across. Year 2012 will be what you pray it to be for you. The various problems besetting us as a nation are veritable stepping stones for greater aspirations for us. Nigerians should not lose hope. It is well…’
Christmas in Nigeria is usually an exclusively family affair and is celebrated with families and friends. Although Nigeria features a conglomeration of diverse cultures, the country has a great capacity to incorporate and assimilate all of them into one comprehensive national identity.
Christmas, therefore, becomes an integral part of Nigerian culture. The whole of Nigeria is illuminated with bright lights and colorful decorations during this festival. Christmas in Nigeria is indeed a big event of the year. Thus it is always celebrated in a grand way by all. Nigerian Christmas is accompanied with soothing blend of the deep tradition, gleam, lightness and parody.
During Christmas in Nigeria, Nigerians go for holidays and short trips. Those who stay away from home and family come back to spend the Christmas with their friends and families. According to the Nigerian culture, gifts and presents are exchanged during this time. Houses and streets are decorated.
Christmas in Nigeria also comes with parties and gatherings. Carrols are sung, great food is prepared along with exquisite drinks and new outfits are worn. The exotic Christmas meals typically include beef, turkey, lamb, chicken and a lot more. The celebrations start from the Christmas eve and go on to the next day, which is the main day – the Christmas. Artificial Christmas trees are bought and are further decorated and placed in the houses, hotels, restaurants as well as shops.