Christmas was a big deal not because it was a major event on the Christian calendar in Ghana, but largely because of the attention we received as children. I wish I could turn back the hand of time because back then Christmas popularly known as “Bronya” was the most important occasion in Ghana. I take you back to the days when anyone you meet greets you with “afehyia pa” (in twi) or “afi oo, afi” (in Ga) meaning Happy New Year.
Christmas was important in Ghana, not because it was a big day in the Christian calendar, but mostly because of the attention we get as kids. I wish I could travel back in time since Christmas, also called “Bronya,” was the most important festival in Ghana at the time. I bring back memories of being greeted with “afehyia pa” (in Twi) or “afi oo, afi” (in Ga), which translates to “Happy New Year.”
For some of us, what made Christmas worth celebrating was the delicacies our mothers prepared in the yuletide. Only during Christmas did we have the privilege to eat jollof rice and chicken. Until Christmas, we were denied. Depending on the financial status of the home, other families settled for local dishes like fufu and palm nut, groundnut or light soup, but not without chicken. For this reason, my mother will buy chicks at least 6 months before Christmas and begin to meticulously and strategically feed them, especially in preparation for the occasion.
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It’s interesting to note that some of the community’s young men occasionally banded together to steal some of the fouls over Christmas. Of all, it took a certain kind of talent to pull off that heinous deed. We referred to it as “akokcpc.” We also had hawks come to our house specifically to steal some of the girls, as if the theft wasn’t enough. We still had two or three prepared for the event, though. And yes, I do recall the affection that was displayed in compound houses in the past.
On the 26th, which is Boxing Day, neighbours who were blessed to cook that special Christmas food, will go into their “dividers” (room dividers) to pick the nicest cooking utensils and serve meals to be given to their neighbours. In short, whether you cook or not, your loving neighbour will bless you with their Christmas meal for middle-class and high-class families, Christmas was a time to exhibit affluence and spend on their children but for families within the lower class, it presented a huge responsibility on their shoulders. For families within this category, the festive season came with a burden. Parents had to work harder and long hours for extra income to cater for the entire family. For many, Christmas without a new dress for their children was a shame. Most parents would do anything and everything to buy or sew new dresses for themselves and their children. I recall how handsome I looked in my up and down attire. My siblings and I would have our small bags with our bronya spectacles moving from one family member to the other. The beautiful part of these visitations was the wealth we accrued throughout the visits. Every family member visited would give you an amount of money or food as a Christmas gift.
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I miss the old Christmas when we all belonged to one society regardless of class, tribe, gender or colour. I miss the days when communal activities brought us together as one big family. Bring back the good old Christmas where children saw no alcoholic, betting or mental nudity on television.
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