Karimojong have the best Christmas celebrations
Dec 18, 2008
DO the Karimojong celebrate Christmas?’ I asked my guide, Timothy Loduk. He stopped walking, looked me straight in the face and laughed: “What an interesting question! Well, we celebrate Christmas but differently.†Loduk is the population officer for Kaabong district.
By Frederick Womakuyu
DO the Karimojong celebrate Christmas?’ I asked my guide, Timothy Loduk. He stopped walking, looked me straight in the face and laughed: “What an interesting question! Well, we celebrate Christmas but differently.†Loduk is the population officer for Kaabong district.
He is one of the few educated Karimojong. Life is harsh in the drought-hit region, but despite the hardships, somehow everyone finds happiness where others least expect it.
Eager to find out more, I accompanied Loduk to one of his field visits to the villages. We left for Karenga sub-county in the district Land Cruiser. We covered about 80km without seeing any human being or hut, but later, we saw a man herding goats and cattle.
He identified himself as Natelim Losikiria. Asked about his plans for Christmas, he said a nomad never dreams of jingle bells like the Westernised people. We joined him as he led his animals across the hills, but Losikiria seemed lost in thought.
He said he was thinking about his pregnant wife and the fact that he was about to get his 11th child. He cheered up when he saw a light flickering at a distance. It was from a fire in his manyatta (hut) located in thorny bushes and enclosed by other small huts.
Losikiria, a resident of Karenga, says he has celebrated the birth of Christ since childhood. Celebrations among the Karimojong kick off on Christmas eve. “We sit on the sandy soil and at midnight, we say this prayer: ‘Father, please make this holy night radiant with the splendor of Jesus Christ, our light.
We welcome him as Lord, the light of the world and pray,â€â€™ he narrates. When the birth of Christ is proclaimed, all the women run into the manyattas to light a fire, like they do when a child is born.
“This symbolises the opening celebrations of Christ’s birth. It is marked by the slaughtering of sheep,†says Bosco Ikul, a herdsman and Losikiria neighbour.
“At midnight, the Christmas fire is transferred to the hut of a mother or elderly person. Among the Karimojong, elders are honoured. So taking the fire to their huts is a sign of respect,†he adds.
When the fire is lit, the men enter the hut and join in the celebrations. Meanwhile, prayers also continue outside the manyatta. In the morning, a traditional feast begins, where it is believed everyone gets Christmas blessings.
“Each family slaughters two goats and roasts them. People eat and drink ewet, a traditional brew made from sorghum,†Loduk adds. He stresses that although prayers are held at midnight, some people still go to church on Christmas.
“At the end of the day, a fire is lit by two elderly women. Sitting by the fire, they pray for the family, community and the nation. The fire is kept alight till midnight when an elder, usually a man, puts it out using sand.
The sand is symbolic of Jesus, our only hope,†an elderly man, Moses Lorupantang, explains. As the fire is put out, the Karimojong remind themselves that God is present among them, quoting Titus 3:4: “The kindness and love of God our saviour has appeared to all people.â€
Unlike urban Christians, the Karimojong’s celebrations are not characterized by blaring music, Christmas trees and brightly-coloured streets. According to Loduk, the Karimojong have the best Christmas.
DO the Karimojong celebrate Christmas?’ I asked my guide, Timothy Loduk. He stopped walking, looked me straight in the face and laughed: “What an interesting question! Well, we celebrate Christmas but differently.†Loduk is the population officer for Kaabong district.
He is one of the few educated Karimojong. Life is harsh in the drought-hit region, but despite the hardships, somehow everyone finds happiness where others least expect it.
Eager to find out more, I accompanied Loduk to one of his field visits to the villages. We left for Karenga sub-county in the district Land Cruiser. We covered about 80km without seeing any human being or hut, but later, we saw a man herding goats and cattle.
He identified himself as Natelim Losikiria. Asked about his plans for Christmas, he said a nomad never dreams of jingle bells like the Westernised people. We joined him as he led his animals across the hills, but Losikiria seemed lost in thought.
He said he was thinking about his pregnant wife and the fact that he was about to get his 11th child. He cheered up when he saw a light flickering at a distance. It was from a fire in his manyatta (hut) located in thorny bushes and enclosed by other small huts.
Losikiria, a resident of Karenga, says he has celebrated the birth of Christ since childhood. Celebrations among the Karimojong kick off on Christmas eve. “We sit on the sandy soil and at midnight, we say this prayer: ‘Father, please make this holy night radiant with the splendor of Jesus Christ, our light.
We welcome him as Lord, the light of the world and pray,â€â€™ he narrates. When the birth of Christ is proclaimed, all the women run into the manyattas to light a fire, like they do when a child is born.
“This symbolises the opening celebrations of Christ’s birth. It is marked by the slaughtering of sheep,†says Bosco Ikul, a herdsman and Losikiria neighbour.
“At midnight, the Christmas fire is transferred to the hut of a mother or elderly person. Among the Karimojong, elders are honoured. So taking the fire to their huts is a sign of respect,†he adds.
When the fire is lit, the men enter the hut and join in the celebrations. Meanwhile, prayers also continue outside the manyatta. In the morning, a traditional feast begins, where it is believed everyone gets Christmas blessings.
“Each family slaughters two goats and roasts them. People eat and drink ewet, a traditional brew made from sorghum,†Loduk adds. He stresses that although prayers are held at midnight, some people still go to church on Christmas.
“At the end of the day, a fire is lit by two elderly women. Sitting by the fire, they pray for the family, community and the nation. The fire is kept alight till midnight when an elder, usually a man, puts it out using sand.
The sand is symbolic of Jesus, our only hope,†an elderly man, Moses Lorupantang, explains. As the fire is put out, the Karimojong remind themselves that God is present among them, quoting Titus 3:4: “The kindness and love of God our saviour has appeared to all people.â€
Unlike urban Christians, the Karimojong’s celebrations are not characterized by blaring music, Christmas trees and brightly-coloured streets. According to Loduk, the Karimojong have the best Christmas.