What do I miss about American Christmases? Let's start with the leaves changing colors at Thanksgiving. We don't experience that here in any form, and somehow those leaves in America set the stage for the glory of the Christmas season in all its change. I kind of envy our Australian friends here who at least see nothing different in the climate here from the climate of their home Christmas. The picture below was taken on Christmas morning 2007 - Tessa put on her new dress and went out gardening, so you can see the type of weather we were having.
I miss my family and celebrating our traditions with them mostly - the less said about that the better, but also I miss seeing my breath in Colorado on a snowy or cold day and the breathtaking lights on the trees and houses of Dallas and the decorations in every home. Where does one hang stockings when there is no fireplace, and how does Santa get into the house with no chimney? We try to answer those questions every year.
I miss the holiday parties and gatherings. I miss the many scents of American Christmas - the pine of the tree, cranberry, apple cider, flavored coffee, fire in a fireplace, and turkey in the oven. And of course I miss the flavors of Christmas even if my hips don't! I miss the music in every store and home even though I have Christmas music here. I miss the choir concerts and singing carols and Christmas hymns with the congregation on Sunday mornings as there are no Christmas Swahili songs in churches here. The below picture was taken at a Christmas office party in Nairobi in 2006 as we were there waiting for Jack to be born. Tessa was not happy to see this friendly Santa!
In spite of all these things, there are many reasons to enjoy Christmas in Tanzania. For one, no one is marketing toys to our children or to us. It's much easier to celebrate simply without all the merchandising and temptation to spend unreasonably. Our kids can run outside without any thought to what they're wearing - no need to bundle them in mittens, hats, scarves, socks and boots only to have to dry those things when they return.
Our poinsettia and amaryllis bloom all year around in our garden. We sing hymns on our back porch every Sunday night, so during December we sing Christmas hymns. We decorate the house with a very fake and tiny tree we bought in Nairobi and hang small carved gourds on it. We've even found pine cones at the convent up the trail from our house, and the gardener there lets me collect them although he must think I'm quite odd. I've never seen pine trees anywhere else here. And our neighbor has a juniper tree, so I trim some of the branches to make an Advent wreath. The Jesse Tree and it's stories from the Old Testament and New Testament have brought a special emphasis on the history of Christ into our house in the last two years.
Below is a picture of our tree on Christmas Eve in 2009 after Santa had come (assisted by many care packages from the kids' grandparents). Looking at the bounty made us feel a bit appalled when we considered how few other homes here have any gifts at all on Christmas morning.
I'm dreaming of a green Christmas
Just like the ones I never knew.
Where the mongeese chatter
And pumpkin matter
Is cooked into pumpkin stew.
I'm dreaming of a green Christmas
Looking at Lake Vic through the screen.
May your joyful spirit be seen
And may all your Christmases be green.
From our cheery green home to your white one,
Kim
2 comments:
Great post! I love the song. And the photo of Tessa... looks like Zacky made her hair stand on end! :)
Wishing you a very merry Green Christmas!
When I was living in Tanzania, I too appreciated the lack of commercialism. In the church, Advent was celebrated as a season rather than our churches here rushing straight to Christmas.
Surprisingly, the one seasonal thing that I really missed from home (Canada) were the short days and long nights; and the changing hours of daylight throughout the year.
Post a Comment