Festive season is here; Merry Christmas, happy New Year!

We are now in the festive time of the year, the period which many regard as one of the most enjoyable timeframes for all fun fairs every single year. Celebrations and seasonal gatherings are all a large part of each of our lives during this time. World over, people have different traditions through which they celebrate this time of year, others have gifts under the tree, the lights in the windows, the cards in the mail, dinners with family and friends. Other people also use the opportunity to donate to the less fortunate individuals. Churches display a crib scene, often with life-size figures representing Mary, Joseph, Jesus and other characters from the Nativity, during this time of the year. Some churches even include actors and live animals. They demonstrate the birth of Christ and its significance to our daily lives. It is very true that Christmas is thought by most to be a wonderful time, for family togetherness, beautiful music and decorations, trendy outfits, feasting on special foods and singing Christmas carols throughout the neighborhood. Both adults and young ones are not left out in the party. Remember when you were little and you used to anticipate the upcoming Christmas holiday with bated breath. If you were like most kids, you carefully planned your wish list for gifts, made ornaments to hang on the tree and put serious thought into gifts that you could give to other friends. This tradition has not changed since the inception of the day. Since this week begun, the City of Kigali, officially the cleanest city on the African continent, has been acquiring new look and mood. Christmas trees with decorated lights are at every step, from the stalls to the streets. Roundabouts have turned glorious especially at night that makes one admire every bit of it. The tunes have changed and music jingles are all about merry Christmas. Many businesses are closing already. Influxes of relatives abroad are joining their family members alongside tourists coming to Rwanda for this holiday reasons. The land of a thousand hills is no doubt one of the best tourist destinations. There is no back to work for nearly everyone until the main and last event of the season – New year. New Year (bonane) is another cornerstone of the holiday season in Rwanda. By far, it is the most exciting night of celebration and festivities. It is swell deserved day of festivity ushering a new chapter. Many begin it with having set resolutions and new ways of doing things. As it is said in Rwanda, ‘this is a day for relaxation, prayer, and brochettes. Grilled beef and goat, fried potatoes, and rice will be the centerpiece of most meals – for many families it is one of the few days of the year when meat will be the part of the meal. Isombe (mashed cassava leaves) and green bananas slowly cooked in tomato sauce. For a kick, brave family members also grab a bottle or tear dropper of Akabanga, an outrageously spicy piri-piri concoction of oil and birds’ eye chile that has become a national condiment.’ These are delicacies which can never miss and never hesitate to visit any nearby homestead for a bite during the celebrations-thanks to our culture of unity and great hospitality. The Christmas season, though festive and exciting, is also one of the most dangerous times of the year. Not only in Rwanda, have many parts of the world recorded a relatively higher number of road accident victims and other unpleasant scenes. Most people get overjoyed and end up hurting themselves. Careless diving or under influence of liquor, spending time on unproductive activities and so on occasionally become norms at the expense of celebrating. The celebrations must not bring us pain at all cost. Now, as we stand at the beginning of this Christmas week and prepare to dive headlong into the New Year, we should reflect on the motivations of our upcoming celebrations. We need to guide those under us and advise our peers on fruitful way of crossing over to the next year. Many might also be tempted to overuse their savings leaving them in despair when ‘back-to-school’ will be calling in January. Let us plan and enjoy the festivities in style and smartly without plunging into economic disarray. Let us make a commitment to celebrate responsibly. When we celebrate responsibly, we celebrate well. And when we celebrate well, we understand that true and meaningful celebration delights in the many festivities we experience while simultaneously looking beyond those festivities and focusing on the cause of our celebration. Merry Christmas to all and may the good Lord protect you and your families throughout this wonderful season! oscar_kim2000@yahoo.co.uk

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Festive season is here; Merry Christmas, happy New Year!