A Nigerian Christmas: Home, Food, Music, and Togetherness

Whenever Christmas comes to Nigeria, it is a big deal. We take it seriously here without any joking. The light works, the bangers, and even the other forms of knockout that make some pretty much loud sounds that your ears cannot with stand it. At this point, all the homes in Nigeria, or at least every one of them, should have a tree in their living room. I remember stepping out recently,y and I saw the Christmas lights outside somebody's house, singing the Christmas song.

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Here is the first thing you need to know about the Nigerian Christmas. First, there is the return to base, going back home. Christmas is not complete until you return to your house. This time I'm talking about going back to your family's house. You go back to your family's house and make it about a happy Christmas spent with family and loved ones. This concept of going back home is what has brought about the IJGB gang (I Just Got Back). You cannot make it through the festive session without some I just got back. Coming back from the state or another country to spend Christmas with their loved ones back at home.

Next up is the absence of snow. Nigerian Christmas never comes with snow or anything related to that. I'm sure I have never seen a single drop of snow in Nigeria, but we have something that replaces the snow, and that is hamattan. The dry air that comes with hamattan is what we get as our form of snow, and then complemented with the smoky firewood smell of the jollof in the air. One thing we can be certain of experiencing in the country is the blissful aroma of food. There is no occasion that is not complete without food in Nigeria, and one of the biggest events of all, Christmas as to be marked with food. Expect jollof, chicken, turkey, and more delicacies.

Another thing on the list to make up the Nigerian Christmas is music. It is a part of our culture. We all have different lyrics to different native songs due to the diverse cultures in Nigeria, but there is one common thing, which is the love for music. As long as it is a melodious sound that our body can vibe to with the help of one, two, or three steps, then we are good to go. This is a driving factor why our artists are among the most celebrated around the globe for their unique sounds and hit songs. Currently in Nigeria, there are lots of concerts from different artists for the festive season, and these concerts are what open the door to the detty December to begin the festivity.

Finally, the community sharing. It is a practice of sharing food among others. Although it has its exclusion, you have to know the person or share a common experience at least. Then, in return, you get your food back. This is what makes the experience sweet. It makes it beautiful when things like this happen and makes the season worth enjoying. In the village, there are other festivity and like other reasons, it is a good avenue to see family members you have not seen for the whole year. These are what make a Nigerian Christmas a Nigerian Christmas.

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_{I am @samostically, a chess player and writer. I love to share the experience I have gained from different battles over the 64 squares and the knowledgeable insights from books I have read. But most importantly, I am a Midnight Owl and I founded the community Midnight Letters.}

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