12 What 2018 Christmas was like, by Kano residents
On Tuesday 25th December, 2018, Christians around the world celebrated the birthday of Jesus Christ. Daily Trust Saturday took a look at the festivities in Kano State.
In Kano, Deacon Bamikefa Johnson Ademola of First Baptist Church, France Road, Sabon Gari, Kano, gave a brief history of the birth of Jesus Christ and the reasons for the celebration of Christmas. According to him, “God sent Jesus Christ to the world to allow us to see eternal, that is everlasting life.” He also recalled that as a child growing up in the village, it was only during Christmas and Easter that rice was eaten.
Deacon Ademola also expressed his happiness that the security situation has improved tremendously in Kano, and When asked to compare this year’s Christmas and that of the previous year, he said in spite of the economic problems in the country, God has provided money for people to buy things to celebrate, and share with those who are underprivileged.
Some Christians who spoke with Daily Trust Saturday expressed their experiences this Christmas in Kano. Haruna Joseph, a resident of Yankaba quarters, said: “We had Christmas carols, children had fun, and even before the Christmas, they had outings to amusement parks, picnics, et cetera. It’s really wonderful.”
Joseph said for him, this is the best Christmas as he had ample time having fun at home with his family, friends and neighbours unlike previous years that he used to be engaged, doing one thing or the other on Christmas day. Talking about economy, Joseph said he believed it is like rainfall, when it is raining on your side, it is probably dry season elsewhere and the vice versa. “The most important thing, to me, is that there is peace. We are not living in fear, there is no running helter-skelter because of unrest. If you have a little to eat and share, that’s what Christmas is all about,” he added.
For Sarah Joseph Binduwa, a teen, this year’s Christmas was not fun. “It’s so boring for me, because Christmas in Kano is not lively like elsewhere. I normally celebrate Christmas in my village Jaba, Chori, in Kaduna State and from last year I celebrated it here in Kano and even that of last year was better for me because this year there is no money,” she said
Another teenage girl who identified herself as Comfort Ushe said the 2018 Christmas was fantastic for her because she visited a lot of places to see her relatives, friends and loved ones.
Ani Usman, another teenager, said she is happy to witness another return of the birthday of Jesus and the day is so special to her. However, she described this year’s Christmas as horrible because of the economic situation. “Because the economy is bad, people are not dressing as elegantly as they used to,” she lamented.
Samuel Linus, a middle aged man in Badawa said the Christmas was very good as you can see everybody smiling. Adding that the area was peaceful and that was the most important thing. “For me this year is better in terms of the economy. People were busy buying things for the Christmas and how could they buy if there was no money?” He queried
Godwin Linus, said in his opinion, there is no difference economically between the Christmas of last year and that of this year but hoping that things will improve for the better. “The most important thing is peace, without peace there will be no meaningful development. And that is the confidence people have on this administration. He also called on all Nigerians irrespective of their religious inclination, to embrace peace. “That’s the true spirit of Christmas,” he concluded.