Christmas day is just around the corner and we can’t help but reminisce on how good Christmas used to be when we were all kids. It is no secret that the way the youths celebrate Christmas nowadays is vastly different from how our parents and Grandparents celebrated theirs during their time.
The major cause of this is the worsening economic situation in the country over time. The economic realities of the average Nigerian just don’t seem to get better. Nowadays, at Christmastime, Nigerian youths are more worried about how to survive the next day than concentrating on the festivities that herald the season. If not for this reason, then they worry about how to ‘detty’ their December. Unfortunately, no matter how much we young people might scream about detty December, it pales in comparison to how the Christmas spirit was in our childhood.
Side Note: According to Urban Dictionary, Detty December means a time in December when you lose your home training and party with all your might, to make up for the hard work you’ve put in from January till November. Themes involve concerts, vacations, parties, etc.
As a child, Christmas was the best time of the year. You get to eat, drink, basically feast and merry to your satisfaction with no rebuke from your parents or older siblings.
In case you’ve forgotten what Christmas time was like then, here are some childhood Christmas memories every Nigerian can reminisce about.
The holiday excitement:
This is usually ushered in by the chilly and dusty harmattan winds and the close of the school term. Most of us then normally used this time to spend quality time with our families and close friends who lived nearby.
Christmas Shopping:
I know we all remember that feeling of giddiness when we had to get our feet measured with a broomstick by our mothers, so she could purchase the right size of footwear. This action meant that we were sure of getting new clothes too, to go with our brand-new footwear.
New hairstyles to show off:
As a little girl, you had a hair makeover a few days before your school’s Christmas party. You are allowed to pick an elaborate hairstyle just once a year. The boys, get their nice hair cut by a trusted barber.
Christmas Parties:
This is the most anticipated day for any little kid back then, aside from Christmas day itself. You get to show off and brag about that cool dress your mum got you, the watch with the multi-coloured lights your dad bought for you and show off the hairstyle you just made. After all, is said and done and you’ve had the party of your life, you get to go home with a goody bag filled to the brim with biscuits, sweets and your favorite juice pack. How sweet!
Fireworks:
What’s Christmastime without the sound of fireworks, heard periodically, several times a day to signal the festive season? These tiny noise pollutants are popularly called bangers or knock-outs.
Cooking and Sharing with Neighbors:
This was a very common thing to do in Nigeria in the 90s and early 2000s. Christmas mornings began with preparing and packaging the food in these special plates that had covers. You’d then put them in a basket or a shopping bag and then distribute them to neighbours. This tradition seems almost extinct in the country, considering the hard times people are facing.
Wearing New Clothes and Visiting Friends/Relatives:
It seems that we grew up and discarded this tradition. Back then, kids would stroll around the neighbourhood in shiny Christmas clothes, visiting families and friends, padding their pockets with monetary gifts and stuffing their tummies with food.
