CHRISTMAS IN AFRICA

Christmas in Africa is different by necessity. We soon learned that to plan a Christmas program actually near December 25th is almost an impossibility. School closes for the hot Summer early in the month, almost all manufacturing and building activity closes down then, and people are poised to head for their holidays in a hotel, campsite, or perhaps with family. They will be away from home until school opens for it's next school year again in January.

Thanksgiving is not a South African holiday, the stores will start their hectic Christmas sales activities sometime in November. Yes, they sing, "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" and "Jingle Bells." Many of them came from England or Europe to sunny South Africa to get away from the bitter cold. They want to go to the beach, or perhaps back to England for a few weeks; some to Switzerland to ski.
A favorite part of the season is to sing carols at the mall or in the park by candlelight. Another we enjoyed was the Christmas carols at the Musical Fountains in one of the parks. Either place, everyone took a blanket to sit on, and for the carols, a candle to light on signal. Either place attracted thousands who did not choose to go away that particular year. The fountains danced with their colored lights and different fountain patterns that changed with the music.

A favorite of New Years was a massive public display of fireworks, often from a float anchored off the shore in a lake where they showed at their very best. Alberton did not have a lake so for some few years we were able to simply pull the curtains aside and watch from our sitting room. They boomed almost overhead at times and showers of sparks flowed from the roof of the Civic Center down the front of the building in a massive "waterfall effect" at the climax. Santa's arrival at the Mall by helicopter was almost an anti-climax.

We always planned a Christmas program at the church or a carols evening, but it had to be early as too many of our people would be away. This meant that Christmas Day and Boxing Day (the day after Christmas) were free for us to enjoy an early worship service followed by a big dinner and a family gathering in our home. We always brought in the church's table tennis table, spread sheets over it and decorated it for a big meal. The entire family, eighteen or so of us, often with boy friends and other friends of our daughters, celebrated Christmas Dinner American Style.

As a rule most of the missionaries preferred to celebrate Thanksgiving as more of a family affair, though I do remember one year when we celebrated with Al and Annette Hamilton and their family at their home. We had a turkey which Al bought directly from the farmer. It was huge, and it was alive. Take my advice, buy your turkey frozen and cleaned!