Christmas In Ghana

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The atmosphere this Christmas season in Ghana is ... quite. You may remember last July Ghana changed its currency. It has been an amazingly smooth transition. For the past 6 months both currencies have been in circulation. January 1, 2008 the “old currency” will no longer be legal tender. With the rising cost of oil our fuel prices have been steadily on the rise the entire year. Since last summer our gas has been selling at $5 per gallon. In Ghana “what goes up, does not necessarily come down”. The high cost of fuel and transportation helped boost the inflation to 25-30%. Ouch! I believe this is much of the reason for this years “quiet Christmas”.

What does Christmas in Ghana look like? The Ghanaians follow the British tradition of celebrating “Boxing Day”. As I understand it, December 26th is the day the British share “boxes” (gifts) with their employees, house help etc. In our rural area of Ghana on the afternoon of the 26th children dress up in their new Christmas outfit and go door to door greeting members in each house "a-fish-a-pa" (Merry Christmas). In return each house will distribute candy, gum, money, etc. The adults generally prepare a food dish and deliver portions as a gift to their friends and neighbors.

A live chicken is a special Christmas gift. Kirk and I returned to the village during the night to find a cock tied to the leg of my kitchen table. He was the second cock we received this year. You may also receive a crate of 36 eggs, a large loaf of bread or a bag of perfumed rice.

Personally, this was my first Christmas to sing holiday songs while mowing the lawn! Singing while shoveling snow yes, but mowing the lawn … hmmm? With this years birthday money Kirk decided to buy a lawn mower. Mowing in the African heat is quite different from mowing in the Michigan or North Dakota sun. As I really do enjoy mowing lawn, there I was mowing and singing away on Christmas day in (perspiration and) preparation for the next weeks many visitors. For the entire 13yrs that we’ve had an African lawn, it has been “mowed” with pure man power and a machete. Man power is the way most work is done here. Machines are hard to find and expensive for Ghanaians to maintain and operate. Our lawn has always looked very nice when freshly cut … but now … wow … we just sit and take in the view. It’s beautiful!

School reopens January 15th so I still have two weeks left of vacation. We expect more visitors the end of this week. As a result of some Special Gifts, the following week (4days-3nights) will be spent at a nice hotel on the beach! Ahh …. Thank You and God Bless!

Forget making any New Year’s resolutions. Just go with the flow and do what you can! And have a Very Happy New Year!
Christine & Co

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Photos

The Christmas Cocks
Our Christmas gifts Ruby and Frosty (who was tethered to my kitchen table).

Making Christmas Cookies
Kwabena, Praises little friend Kwame, Praise and Kirk

In their Christmas Frills
village girls dressed in their new Christmas Frills come to greet "a-fish-a-pa" (Merry Christmas)

Arriving for "A-fish-a-pa"
They come in little, or sometimes big, groups to greet us Merry Christmas and to collect their Christmas Candy.

The Christmas Do
Isn't she just a doll!

Comments

[Sandy]

Merry Christmas!
Hi Kirk and Christine, Praise, Hannah, and all other friends there in your village in Ghana! I enjoyed your update and am glad you have had a blessed Christmas and hosting your guests. I was blessed to host Consuelo and Eric York last Sunday night as they have been in NC for a few months. I gave her your contact info, so you should hear from her. God bless you in 2008...you are a blessing!! Love, Sandy

[Janet]

MErry Christmas-God bless
Hi guys!! Loved your entry, as always!! So interesting, and I loved the pics!!! The little girls are so adorable in their Christmas outfits and beautiful hair-dos! And Praise has grown-slimmed down some, it looks to me. I really like your Christmas roosters-them's some handsome dudes!!!!! I wouldn't mind having some of those guys around here!!! Anyway-I wanted to send you a picture of our family-wondereing how to email it? Thru this sight or somewhere else? Hope you have some wonderful days of relaxation here soon. Sounds like a dream come true to me-being on the beach and all. I love just hanging out on the beach. Lots of time to pray and soak in the rays of God's love. And chase Praise!!!!! Best go-I'm falling asleep. Love you guys, Janet PS Did I tell you that Josiah is engaged??? To Erin Michaels- You would have met her. as their family was a part of the church(I think that you were at their house for church one time, Christine) They have since moved to the thumb, as her dad was layed off from his job. So Josiah is doing alot of traveling . Tell you more about it later!!!! Too tired now.

[Kirk and Christine]

Josiah and Erin Engaged!?
Wow! A BIG Congradulations to them. Do they have a date set? You can send one or two (jpeg) pictures to our regular email address. Pictures take sooooo long for us to download. Waiting for them. Happy New Year to your entire clan! Christine

[Peggy]

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Hi guys! I don't know how I missed this email until today but was very happy to find it. The kids are beautiful! I hope you're enjoying your vacation and time away. Mowing on Christmas, huh? Well I must say, your lawn looks better than mine ever does! Imagine you heard about our big snowstorm right after the holidays. We had a white New Year's if not a white Christmas. So pretty. Now we're slogging around in the mud (50's, can you believe it?) until it all freezes back up again. Kids all back to school today. They were happy to get back into the routine. Time off is nice but it can also make you appreciate *not* being home. Lol. xo's to all, Peggy