Christmas In South Africa
South Africans celebrate Christmas in the summer since the country is located in the Southern Hemisphere. This period is usually blessed with sunlight and beautiful flowers in full bloom. Like other places globally, schools are closed in South Africa during Christmas; hence, some people go camping.
What South Africans do on Christmas Eve
Christmas is seen as a holy season by many South African, and going for carol singing on Christmas eve is common in many cities and towns. Like the United States, traditional Christmas Trees and decorations can be seen in many houses, and children get lots of gifts from Santa Claus (often portrayed by a member of the church). On Xmas eve, many natives love to pull Christmas Crackers which is usually fun – many people especially children and youths enjoy it the most.
On Christmas Day
Many natives attend Church services on Christmas morning. Like many other African countries, South Africans often eat either chicken, roast beef, turkey, or suckling pig with yellow raisins & rice and vegetable on Xmas day. Some individuals may prefer to eat Pudding or a traditional South African dessert called Malva Pudding (also known as Lekker Pudding). While eating, many people may prefer to go outside in the summer sun. If the weather is scorching, they may even have a “braai” or a barbecue.
South Africans adopted several U.K. Christmas customs since they were colonized by the British. For instance, people visit their families and friends on Christmas day afternoon or may decide to journey to the countryside or resort centers for fun like playing games, swimming, dancing, etc.
Boxing Day (Dec 26th) is a holiday in S.A., and people used the time to either rest or once again go out and have a good time.
How South African greet each other during Christmas
South African is a culturally diverse nation, so many natives sometimes greet each other in their native tongue. For instance, in Afrikaans (one of South Africa’s languages), Merry Christmas is ‘Geseënde Kersfees,’ in Sesotho it’s ‘Le be le keresemese e monate,’ in Zulu it’s ‘UKhisimusi omuhle,’ and in Xhosa, it’s ‘Krismesi emnandi.’ For those who speak Afrikaans, Santa Claus is called Sinterklass (St Nicholas), while Father Christmas is Kersvader.
