By Abdelmonem Fawzi
The beginning of the New Year will be celebrated around the world. This is an occasion that unites peoples, in Africa and everywhere else.
It binds us together and makes us feel that we are part of something special, which gives us much needed comfort during difficult times.
The New Year celebration is a great chance for us to spend time with our friends and family. It is a time of the year that is rich with tradition. Almost every family has its special way of celebrating this occasion.
This raises questions about what Africans do to mark the same occasion.
Some African countries have their own unique holiday customs. The Christmas dinner is one of the main holiday traditions in Tanzania, for instance.
Tanzanians celebrate Christmas by purchasing a goat or cow and feeding it really well so that it is ready for dinner which happens on Christmas Eve.
“Happy New Year” is literally translated in Swahili as “heri ya mwaka mpya”. Vifijo is the Swahili equivalent of “cheers”. Maisha marefu also means long life.
In Kenya, where these Swahili expressions were coined, people consider Christmas one of the biggest holidays of the year. Hundreds of people usually come together at this time of the year to celebrate.
The gatherings usually include a Christmas dinner where goat or cow meat is served, along with corn cake or chapatti. Meat stew with vegetables and potatoes are also served. The gatherings also include singing and dancing around a fire with family members, neighbours and friends.
Christmas day in Nigeria is long and fun-filled. Many Nigerians start their celebration by going to churches for prayer. Then, they have a Christmas dinner which usually consists of goat, chicken, turkey, sheep, vegetable salad, skewed beef, and jollof rice.
Community service is another popular Christmas tradition in Nigeria where churches organise events for people to visit the shelters of the homeless, orphanages, and struggling families.
During these visits, the church members provide Christmas gifts, including drinks, food, presents, and a performance from the choir.
English is the official government language in Nigeria, but there are hundreds of other languages that are spoken in the country. Hausa, Ibo, and Yoruba are three of the main languages. “Happy New Year” translates into “barka da sabon shekara” in Hausa. In Ibo it is “ezi afọ ọhụrụ”, and in Yoruba it is “e ku odun, eku iyedun”.
In South Africa, the same phrase translates into “Afrikaans is gelukkige Nuwe Jaar”, while “cheers” translates into “gesondheid”.
The traditions in South Africa are very people-focused. During Christmas, people visit loved ones. Sometimes families and friends go to the countryside to enjoy the nice weather.
If people decide to stay in the city for Christmas, they typically participate in a barbeque called “braai”. These dinners go to their verandas and gardens to prepare, organise, and eat.
In Madagascar, the Malagasy translation for “Happy New Year” is “tratry ny taona”, while cheers is translated as “mirary fahasalamana”.
In Ethiopia, “Happy New Year” is translated as “melikami ādīsi ‘ameti”, and cheers as “letenachin”.
In the little known Kingdom of Eswatini, Christmas traditions do not focus on material things, since many people experience poverty. Nevertheless, this does not mean that Christmas is not a special day for Swazis.
They start their holiday at church for a mass. They sing and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Afterwards, they have a good meal, sit, laugh, and spend a good time together.
Moreover, Kwanzaa (/’kwa:n.zə/) is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1. It culminates in a communal feast called ‘Karamu’, usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest festival traditions from various parts of West and Southeast Africa.
In many African countries, it is the tradition to string up Christmas lights and ornaments and even decorate trees, but African Christmas trees are just a little different from the usual pine or fir tree.
One can see everything from Cypress trees to mango and palm trees bedazzled with little ornaments like bells and candles across Africa, while big stores and hotels usually put up more extravagant decorations like fake snow.
Nonetheless, the African New Year is celebrated after the last days of Mariha/winter. This is to give way to a new life after the dry season which comes after winter in Central South Africa.
The African New Year starts therefore in August/Phato. It is known for the blowing winds, clearing Mother Earth and refreshing the ground with the showers of Spring.
To mark the African New Year, fields are ploughed, and the very first harvest is brought as an offering to Tlatlamatjholo/God.
This celebration promotes social cohesion by embracing all cultures. It also deepens our drive towards cultural self-awareness in our communities. Only when communities are aware of their history and cultural identities, they are able to build a better society.
It remains to be said that the New Year is a perfect time to make change for the better. Being realistic about the objectives one sets and not making too many New Year resolutions might help one achieve success.
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