Christmas in coffee countries: Ethiopia, Kenya and Costa Rica
Special customs, delicious food and lots of coffee
Christmas is truly "the most wonderful time of the year", a celebration of love, reconciliation, family reunions that creates the most beautiful memories for all. Each people has its own unique traditions, which aim to make Christmas even more beautiful: special food, special decorations, strange customs reflect the culture of each people, its special behavior, its religious feeling but also its general way of life .
This Christmas we will not be able to travel, and we may be deprived of the opportunity to celebrate up close with loved ones. But we can always make mental journeys wherever we want. Let's get to know how three distant countries, which we know for their unique coffee, celebrate their Christmas!
Christmas in coffee countries: Ethiopia, Kenya and Costa Rica
Ethiopia: White clothes, shared food and ritual coffee.
Ethiopia is a predominantly Christian country, and its church is one of the oldest Christian churches in the world. Following the Julian calendar, Ethiopian Christians celebrate Christmas (or "Ghana" in the Achmarik language, on 7/1. Christmas traditions are expected for a people who love sociability, sharing, good food and the "outside" The forty-day fast breaks for a traditional meal after the Holy Mass, which includes a number of festive meals as well as the traditional, sour Ethiopian bread, the Injera. The meal is structured so that the food is shared among many people, as a sign of love and appreciation, while white clothes are almost "mandatory", as they emphasize the joyful message of Christmas.
The meal closes with a traditional Ethiopian coffee, with the special ritual, indicative of the importance that Ethiopians give to their coffee, but also with a… game reminiscent of hockey and is simply called "Christmas".
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Kenya: Santa Claus comes with… camels and the whole country travels
For Christians in Kenya, family reunification is perhaps the most important thing for Christmas. As the families are large and the country is big, in the days before Christmas, the whole country is on the road, in order for all the relatives to meet in their separate homelands. Some of the customs of the Kenyans are similar to the European ones, but adapted to their own reality: instead of a fir tree, the locals decorate cypress trees, which abound in the urban centers, while the children wait like everywhere else for Santa Claus, who arrives in houses with… a camel.
The mass takes place on the night before Christmas, and includes psalms, poems, carols, songs and a lot of dancing, while after the end young and old eat and continue the feast of "Krismasi" until the morning. If you are tired, a hearty breakfast with strong Kenyan coffee is a must!
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Costa Rica: Nativity Scenses, home cooking, rum and coffee berries
Christmas is especially important in Costa Rica: Christmas Eve is called "Noche Buena", meaning simply "the beautiful night". The gala dinner includes pork and tamala, while the traditional Christmas drink is eggnog, fortified due to the day with plenty of rum.
Santa Claus is called "Colacho" and brings gifts to the children, which he leaves under decorated cypress branches. The locals decorate their branches with…. coffee berries, kept separate from the harvest time for this very purpose! The "cherries" of coffee, due to their color and shape, are obviously quite reminiscent of the European and American custom of mistletoe, which of course does not thrive in the tropical climate of Costa Rica. However, tradition dictates the decoration of a nativity scence and not a tree, and there are many families competing for the most beautiful nativity scene.
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Christmas is first and foremost a matter of the heart. This year, even if we are deprived of some things (to find them again, next year), we can make a good coffee, close our eyes and travel to distant countries, where people of all races, colors and cultures celebrate a message of hope. Happy Holidays!
