Republic of the Congo: Holidays and Celebrations
Beth Adams
July 29, 2013
Christmas in the Congo is a very religious holiday. Not many people give gifts other than food. Instead, they choose to be with their family and eat outdoors together. They go on to tell of the foods that are eaten if the family can afford them, followed by the religious services held all day long. Children preform nativity plays and sing for the congregation.
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I think these simple Christmas celebrations are as important as they are folky. They obviously aren't of the same grander and materialistic magnitude as the the Christmases of America, making them distinct from my own culture, and therefore pretty interesting. I have looked for personal accounts of Christmas festivals or public celebrations, but it seems to be more of a personal family event, shared with church families.
I am kind of sad that these articles are sparse and unfortunately, this is one of the most in depth I have been able to find. Maybe because of limited computer access, personal accounts are rare and buried. |
Congo is a former French colony, and unfortunately that is a big part of their current identity. War-stricken and starved, this country has few holidays other than independence days and Christian holidays from its days of colonialism.
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