Christmas in Malawi is so much different than Christmas in Canada that I thought it might be interesting for some of you to learn how a typical Malawian celebrates the holiday season.
Malawi is a very Christian country. Malawians attend church regularly and have strong Christian values so it is not a surprise that Christmas is an important day in that country. In fact, it is so important that many begin preparing for the day as early as August.
As Christmas approaches families with some means, like Azikiwe’s, will prepare cakes or scones. They will buy soft drinks, rice, cookies and fresh fruit. A chicken will be slaughtered and rice will be prepared for a mid-day feast. On Christmas Eve families will attend a long church service, which may end around midnight. The following morning the family will return to church and then go home to enjoy the food that has been prepared. Families will welcome neighbours and friends to their home sharing with them some of their food.
Malawians like Azikiwe don’t generally buy gifts for each other but if finances permit, they will buy new clothing for one or more members of the family. This year Azikiwe plans to buy clothes for his two youngest children. In the package that is being sent to the girls I have included a few small gifts for the family to open on Christmas day.
The Itatu girls will celebrate Christmas in a similar way. They will attend church in their best clothing and then come home to food that has been prepared for them. In most cases this food will be a chicken and some rice or nsima. The people in the village will also prepare a drink called “thobwa” which is a sweet, thick drink made of millet. Families will visit friends and neighbours and share this drink. After visiting and eating the people of the village will gather at a football field to watch and participate in local dancing. As villages are generally close together people will wander from on village to another participating in the festivities.
I hope one day to be part of the Malawian Christmas celebration.
Merry Christmas to all of you.
Last year my personal gift to my friends in Malawi was to assist Azikiwe’s father with the rebuilding of his house. Mr. Mwakayoka at 80 years of age lives on a patch of land among the rice paddies. Having spent time in jail during the 1960s as a political prisoner under the dictarorship of Dr. Banda, he has no pension from his years of service as a teacher in Malawi. His pension was taken from him as part of his imprisonment. Mr. Mwakaoyak lives on the income provided by the sale of his rice. His house was destroyed during the 2009/2010 earthquakes and he and his wife and grandchildren were sleeping outside for fear of the remains of the house collapsing on them. I am pleased to say that Mr. Mwakayoka and his family now sleep inside their fully restored house.
This year, my personal gift to my friends is a more frivolous one. I have decided that Azikiwe should buy a bicycle for his daughter Lusayo and for his grandson Innocent. The children are aged 5 and 7. I feel that they should have a bicycle and I’m very excited to see them use it when I visit in July.
It feels good to help a family that has given me so much.
Today I “introduced” my grade one class to the work I do in Malawi. The conversation was initiated when I told the children that I planned to go out at recess and buy candy canes for some kids. Being typical 6 year olds they immediately assumed the candy canes would be for them. I explained to them that the candy canes would be sent to children who have likely never tasted such treats before. Of course, the children couldn’t believe that there are people alive today who have not had the joy of a candy cane.
After looking at my Malawi photo album and having a brief discussion of how the lives of the Itatu girls differ from ours the children showed a whole new side. Hands flew up with ideas of how they could share their candy canes and toys. Kids were asking if we could bring in shoes, toys and some of their candy canes to be sent to Malawi. It was the first time I have seen this class show empathy and it was very touching to see.
‘Tis the season for generosity, even if one is 6 years old.
