IT'S TIME WE HAD A REAL BLACK XMAS IN AFRICA!

by PROFARMS | November 29, 2008 at 02:41 am

287 views | 36 Recommendations | 12 comments

There is one thing that distinguishes Africa from the rest of the world-masses and masses of black people!

This is our heritage.

And to hope that Africa would be anything else but Black Africa is delusional.

I for one have no apologies to make for being among the most black of all Africans.

I know this is ok so long as every next person is black.

But there is one thing that demonises the black African once every year and that is the idea of a WHITE XMAS!

Oh how we always try to have a WHITE XMAS without trying to understand the underlying concepts that are alien to Africa.

Unlike in the West where the only black aspect of Christianity is the COVER OF THE HOLY BOOK,here in Africa the church is black from the colour of the BOOK COVER,Priest and the congregation!

But come Xmas.

Everything must be white from the young baby on the Xmas night skit to the beard of the Santa Claus in our Humble supermarkets.

I've seen black kids bolting out of these stores on the first sight of of this patronizing White clad man who is all black under the camouflaging costume.

Then the Xmas tree must be snowed white with cotton wool and the like. Snow is an alien concept in Africa and where it occurs on the top of highest mountains,it is normally a revered phenomenon.

Young babies have sometimes been known to suffer under a smothering coat of make up to reflect the White baby Jesus in the manger during skits on XMas night.

I'd hate to intrude into the core dogmas of Christianity but I wonder,is it not posible to adopt some BLACKNESS into Xmas rituals that refect our common heritage as a black people?

I have no defence nor apologies to put put up for any ones skin colour but it seems like in Africa,we've been made to think that being black is some kind of an aberration more so by Christianity that has imposed an alien culture to its followers here in Africa.

I must conclude this by saying that I'm proud that my first name is Bernard and I'm Black.

Let's have a BLACK or Green Xmas this year in Africa.

Merry Xmas though to you all in about three weeks time!

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Paschen

at 04:43 on November 29th, 2008

Interesting. However even though I can understand you sentiment, I have to point out that Africa is a continent with many countries and many religion as well as many races and clans.

20% of African are white and 72% are Black. 47% are Muslim and 28% Christian, the rest are called Pagan.

Some african countries such as Gabon do celebrate Christmas as you did suggest here. Other do not. Christ was born in the Middle East in today's Palestine and the Christian did for a long time as well as the Muslim impose their religion by force and through wars, that is unfortunate and yet it happened in Africa as well as in Europe the Americas and even Asia to some extend.

Now, if you write about Kenya that is one thing, however Africa is big and North Africa is mainly Populated by Arab-European and Berber. They are for the large majority not Christian, nor Black African.

Some Churches in Cameroon have a black Baby Jesus in their manger and nothing is wrong with that, same in Ethiopia.

I think it is up to the people and what makes them feel most comfortable.

Christina 123

at 05:17 on November 29th, 2008

I may not agree with what you say, but I respect your right to say it! Food for thought, but of course Christmas as we know it in the west is based on old Norse and Teutonic pagan myths, hence the preoccupation with snow, candles and ham, and feasting at the winter solstice, etc.

PROFARMS

at 05:36 on November 29th, 2008

Thanks Paschen. I see a new perspective where our Muslim brothers come into play as well as many others who are neither Christians nor white.

All the same,the 28% of the practising Christians would rather have something that relates to their heritage wherever they are in Africa.

My narrow perspective as a Christian had blinded me to the fact that only about a quarter of the WORLDS population Africa included are passionate about XMAS. The rest have their own different annual festivities that have nothing to do with Christianity.

All the same,XMAS seems to have taken a life of its own away from the confines of its root religion that has something to do with consumerism both here in KENYA and the world at large.

I'm sure that most stores that will be peddling XMAS gifts with universal symbolism of XMAS have nothing to do with the25% of Worlds population who understand the underlying concepts of XMAS from a religious point of view.

It is this universal symbolism that am talking about not the exact religious segmentation of worlds religions.

Your comment has really helped to put this point across.

Merry XMAS!

SOLARLIFE

at 06:15 on November 29th, 2008

Let's have a BLACK or Green Xmas this year in Africa. Good slogan PROFARMS; the Brazilians have a black madonna (catholic church) they call "nossa senjora" so color no problem. What are we proposing for White house ? just a joke

Jordan Yerman

at 06:25 on November 29th, 2008

When he was a child, a friend of mine once got in trouble at school for drawing a picture of a black Santa Claus in class during the holidays. His teacher got really angry, and he couldn't understand why, since he was drawing a fictional character anyway. (This was in Los Angeles)

Blue Crush

at 08:56 on November 29th, 2008

Wonder if they're more tolerant to other cultures these days? Not implying that you're ancient Jordan ... but I just can't see that happening these days, especially not in Canada.

PROFARMS

at 06:55 on November 29th, 2008

Thanks Jordan but its shocking!

PROFARMS

at 09:10 on November 29th, 2008

Christina 123, Thanks for your comment.

My greatest pride about NOW PUBLIC is that it offers its readership a forum where disagreements are just a way of learning that there are many more points of view about our small global village as there are different people in the world.

If i had my way,I would nominate NOW PUBLIC for NOBEL PRIZE as a Cyber ambassandor of peace in our diverse world.

Comments like yours only help us to learn about the other side of the story.

I keep on learning all the time.

Thanks

Barbara McPherson

at 10:18 on November 29th, 2008

Thanks for the thoughtful article and beautiful pictures of the Madonna.

Amy Judd

at 10:42 on November 29th, 2008

Really interesting piece - thanks for this

PROFARMS

at 10:47 on November 29th, 2008

Welcome Amyjudd and thanks too!

Sakah (not verified)

at 10:51 on December 2nd, 2008

Here Here

I'll through on my <a href="http://eyeseeisaw.blogspot.com/2008/07/dashiki-coolest-of-cool.html">dashiki</a> and spark a black and green xmas myself!