The Joy of Christmas
Christmas is … many things. It is festive, colorful and loud! Christmas is a time of year when people around the world come together in the spirit of giving, love and hope for mankind. It is arguably the most popular holiday. Here in Uganda, Christmas is more than just a holiday and we celebrate it with passion. The festivities are always memorable and the fun would be remembered for years to come.
In our community in Kabarole, Christmas is so special to us and a Christmas party has become a tradition and tradition must go on. Every year, it is our duty and honor to make Christmas joyous for the children by throwing a party. During this time, we invite people from all religious and cultural backgrounds to come and celebrate with the children in the spirit of giving. The celebration is not complete without steaming plates of yummy food over cold drinks. This is how you know it is Christmas. You are expected to eat until you can no longer take it. Most people will agree that Christmas adds a special flavor to food, even if you ate the same thing just the night before.
Although there’s no special dish for Christmas, anything you taste must feel good in your mouth and mothers are known to employ their best cooking skills in the kitchen. It is for this reason that the preparation of our meal was left in the capable hands of our mothers. When it comes to drinks to wash down the food, many people, especially, the children prefer soft drinks commonly known as soda. An ice-cold Coke or Fanta sure hits the spot on a hot afternoon.
We had 1,000 people turn up for the event. As the women cooked, the men and youth engaged in sports while the children played. The sports activities were all about the relationships and fun generated through playing soccer and netball together. With just a ball anyone can come together to enjoy the games we all love. The matches were no different from the ones we have had all year long. The sweating, panting players focused with concentration on the ball, their teammates, their footwork and their strategy was a sight to see. The atmosphere was charged with excitement as people cheered their teams.
After the meal, then came the time to share from the word of the Lord. The songs of praise and worship were lively and energetic because there is no better way to proclaim the birth of a king. The crowd listened attentively to the same Christmas message they had heard a million times over. The repetition did not make it any less fun. They were implored to express the same love and selflessness to one another that Christ had shown by coming down to be born of a woman and later die for our sins. Many people accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior.
We gave out hampers to 65 pre-selected vulnerable families which included rice, salt, sugar, soap, cooking oil – some essentials to use during the season. There were some clothes available to those who needed them, both children and adults. We are very grateful to our friends who donated clothes. All this was made possible because of the faithful support of our friends and partners all over the world. We do all this to spread the love of Jesus to the community. Together we are causing a great impact. Thank you for every gift.
