When I was younger, Christmas day was very much a big deal. I was sure I was gonna get a new dress (which was usually one annoyin ball gown with puffed up sleeves and a belt behind to be worn with white socks and what we now call "Mary Janes"). I was assured of a new hairdo. I was sure my mother was atleast gonna buy one or two "live" chickens. I was sure they were gonna tie up christmas lights everywhere in the sitting room and place Xmas cards (old and new) on them. But wait sha, we were razz oh! Someone would give us a Christmas card in 1965 and we would still have it and use it to decorate the house in 1980! Chei!
Watching them kill the live chickens was always a delight for me (does that make me sound like a blood thirsty person?? Woreva jor!). After killing the chicken(s), we'd soak them in hot water to make the feathers soft and subsequently pluck out all the feathers one by one. It was so much fun for me doing all that. Enter 2010, tell me to do anything with a chicken (other than eat it :-D) and you wont even get a response, lol.
As recently as 2-3yrs ago, the town starts to get empty once it's 22nd December. On 25th December, you'd hardly see any cars on the road, churches were usually scanty because every1 would be in their village for Christmas. Everywhere would have a ghost-town feel to it and this also added to the appeal of the season; Even the harmattan added to it to give that special Xmas feeling.
Enter 2010. I went out this morning and I was amazed at the number of commercial activities going on. By the way, there was hardly ever any Harmattan this year, as a matter of fact, I have never seen such a harmatanless year since my mama born me! The jar of vaseline I bought in prepaation has just been wasting, maybe I should go back and demand a refund sef, abi?
As I was saying, when I went out this morning, I was blown away by the hustle and bustle. There were cars everywhere, people everywhere, buses everywhere. None of that ghost-town effect was there. Most shops were open for business. I saw about 150 open hair dressing salons, 300 boutiques, CD shops, Supermarkets, EVEN furniture shops were open. Na who wan buy chairs on Xmas day? Paint shops were open; who is gonna wanna paint on Xmas day? Markets were in full swing....people selling plantains, fruits, akara....Nothing was different...
It never used to be like this....atleast not on Xmas day gan gan...
And I'm wondering.....Is it that the value of Christmas is diminishing?? Or is that too many people are now too poor to be bothered? Rather than think of celebrating this special day, they think of how much sales they migh lose if they close shop today. Should they be blamed?
Someone might argue, it is a day to spend with family and just chill. But really, of what use is family time if they cant get decent meals to eat or decent shelter?
Or maybe, besides minimal funds, people are now scared to travel to their villages for fear of being kidnapped? Everybody is now a potential kidnap victim; whether you are rich or poor is inconsequential. Or maybe they are scared of travelling on roads that are now worse than ever before....or just maybe, they are scared of robbers on the road who increase per second largely due to the crazily high unemployment rate and/or an almost non-existent educational structure.....It gets worse in this country...
AND..... there was a bomb blast this morning in Jos. So while we're busy texting and calling to exchange greetings, some other are mourning the loss of loved ones, some others can't mourn, they can't text nor call, they lay somewhere unmoving, oblivious to the uniqueness of today....oblivious to the merriment....
I pray God gives the affected people the strength to bear their losses....My heart goes out to them...
The tides are changing....the tides have changed.
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