Nigerian Christmas and New Years Celebration

Just like the Americans celebrate the holiday season, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are also celebrated in the Nigerian culture. In the Nigerian culture, Christmas and New Years are one of the most anticipated celebrations each year because it includes many rituals that almost everyone participates in so no one is left out. The rituals such as extending the season greetings to one another for positive and enjoyable spirit, going to the mosque or church to pray and thank God for one’s well being, exchanging gifts from one family to another with food and harvested items from the farm like yams and plantain. Christmas is also a celebration in the entire month of December, “…starts on the 1^st day of December, as that is the day When Kids begin to light up fire crackers everywhere.”  Christmas and New Year’s celebration is a little bit different from the American way of celebrating the Holidays. In America there is more focus on gifts and presents from family and loved ones. In Nigeria, people focus on rejoicing the fact that they survived through another year and give thanks to Go. To do that everyone makes sure that everyone in their surroundings is happy, there is lots of food to go around, and there is music for people to dance. A full stomach and good music means it is time to get your groove on. Not all is able to celebrate Christmas with much food, so neighborhood churches cook large meals of food to go around for those who are unable to provide for themselves. Even in the churches, they start their own party dancing and singing praises to celebrate.