Last week I just got a little sidetracked, discussing the origins of Christmas; here is what I wanted to say.
On a foundational level, the British Royal family is responsible for the Christmas traditions we celebrate today. Queen Charlotte brought the Christmas tree to Britain in the 18th Century, adopting the concept from the Germans, who had been decorating trees with sweets, paper flowers, and candles since the 1600s (the British royals have German ancestry).
That matters because Britain administered an enormous Empire at the time, boasting colonies all across the globe. Britain’s Royal Family was so popular that everything they did either created or influenced pre-existing trends.
So naturally, an 1848 illustration of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert congregating around a decorated tree made waves, compelling the country to adopt the practice. Eventually, the rest of the world took notice.
That information is news to you because most of what you know about Christmas and its traditions comes from Hollywood movies and TV shows. I don’t think any industry in existence holds nearly as much power as Hollywood, at least when it comes to influencing culture.
We live in Uganda, which is as far from the United States and Europe as one can get. And yet, Christmas in Kampala does not differ that drastically from what you see in Hollywood movies.
Many of you grew up in households that routinely erected Christmas trees in the sitting room every December. I doubt you had any presents to unwrap on Christmas day, but you probably spent the next two weeks sneaking candy off the tree.
But the sentiment is similar. Your home would fill with so many friends, close family, and distant relatives that you would have a difficult time finding room for them all. Then you would feast as if the world were about to end.
Those principles have remained largely unchanged today. Kampala was bursting at the seams with shoppers the last two weeks. Hollywood would be right in saying (as they always do) that Christmas has become overly commercialized, even here in Uganda.
However, you can also argue that Ugandan culture does not fit as neatly into that trend as an outsider might assume. Last week, you could not walk two feet without running into a local retailer advertising heavy discounts for the holiday period.
But the sentiment is somewhat different because all those dresses, shoes, and beddings Ugandans keep buying were going to friends and relatives in the village who can’t access or afford them.
Ugandans do not necessarily shop for their personal benefit. They shop for others. You don’t see them populating their homes with discounted electronics. Instead, they want to bring some of that Christmas cheer you see in the movies to their less fortunate brethren outside Kampala.
Admittedly, the number of Ugandans who prefer to celebrate Christmas in town has also grown, and many households are taking their cues about the December holidays from Hollywood. Some Ugandan children actually woke up to gifts under the Christmas tree on December 25.
That said, from what I’ve observed, the number of Ugandans choosing to celebrate Christmas together away from the city is still relatively large. Yes, life outside Kampala is cheaper, which makes Christmas upcountry so much easier to manage for financially constrained Ugandans with large families.
Why organize expensive meals at a fancy restaurant on the 25th when your children will be happier playing with their cousins in the village for free? They will also create stronger memories.
However, even those who can afford to enjoy a modern Christmas in Kampala either drove to the village in their expensive cars or invited village relatives to join them in their lovely mansions in town. In that regard, we have not fully embraced Hollywood’s version of a modern, cynical Christmas, which highlights isolation, binge drinking, and pointless shopping.
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