Christmas: How Nigerians Celebrate Christmas

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Christmas in Nigeria begins months before the actual day. The average Nigerian begins saving up for the D-day as soon as September starts. These months are usually a terrible time to request money from friends or loved ones as you will most likely get the “I dey find money, Christmas dey come” line. Those that had been spending extravagantly throughout the year try their best to practice frugality.

Money saved is most times blown on the spot during the Christmas celebration. A couple of factors encourage this:

1. Increased Price of Goods and Services

The holidays and festive periods in Nigeria are naturally those times that market women, tailors, and hairdressers. This price increase can be as bad as the price of a formerly #250 product selling for #650. People who offer services also increase their wages to get enough money to celebrate Christmas and buy those expensive goods.

This year the price of goods has skyrocketed due to factors like border closure and insecurity in the country. Nevertheless, for Nigerians, Christmas must be celebrated. In the days before December 25th, marketplaces across Nigeria will witness a heavy influx of customers who are eager to buy goods.

2. The Urge to Impress

During Christmas, it is very difficult to fight the urge to impress. If you’re hosting or attending family reunions, you might be under an invisible pressure to “perform” like others. Money is usually spent on things like:

Buying Clothes, Shoes and other Accessories: Almost everyone wants something new for Christmas and clothes and accessories have always been an easy choice. These gorgeous outfits are usually worn on Christmas day. These can also be used as Christmas gifts to be presented to loved ones.

Family Reunions: Great migrations occur during the Christmas/festive period as thousands of persons leave their homes for their hometowns across the country. For them, the end of year celebrations is an opportunity to showcase how much you have been able to achieve throughout the year(monetary achievement and otherwise).

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Nigerian Christmas Traditions

Christmas in Nigeria is a colorful event characterized by high energy and an air of festivity. Little wonder that the days after Christmas can feel drab and colorless in comparison. Before Christmas, most families in Nigeria observe one or all of these traditions.

1. Installing Christmas Decorations

Decorating the Christmas tree, installing Christmas lights, and hanging Holly on the walls are traditions that happen every year. These decorations are put up to give the house a Christmas feel.

2. Repainting of Home and Cleaning of Surroundings

In the weeks before Christmas, most homes undergo a serious overhaul. The walls are usually covered with fresh paint and the house, cleaned thoroughly. This is done to create the Christmas atmosphere and also in preparation for the arrival of extended family members.

3. Stocking the Pantry With Foodstuff

In the days or weeks before Christmas, the homemaker would usually go to the market and buy foodstuff. Perishable goods like tomatoes and pepper could be bought, steamed, and stored for later use. Others like rice and beans are kept. Christmas is not a time for running around the market but for relaxation and since the Christmas celebration runs into the New Year celebrations, plans are made for both.

4. Purchase of Knockouts

There is almost no Christmas without knockouts. People purchase knockouts that are called “bangers” which are lit and make loud noises when they explode.

5. Churches

The day before Christmas or on Christmas day, some Nigerians go to church to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Christmas clothes are usually worn for this service.

6. Carols

During Christmas, carols blast through the speakers. Popular Christmas carols played in Nigeria include but are not limited to:

Hark the Herald
Jingle Bell
Silent Night
O come all ye faithful
The First Noel
Little Drummer boy
Deck the halls
We wish you a Merry Christmas
Felix Navidad

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7. Father Christmas

The difference between Santa Claus and the Nigerian Father Christmas is their personality. Father Christmas is an eccentric being who does not hide but dances in public to entertain thrilled crowds of children. The Nigerian father Christmas also gives Christmas gifts by hand or throws them into the air instead of hiding them in stockings!

Merry Christmas in Nigerian Languages

Hausa: barka dá Kirsimati

Yoruba: ‘E ku odun, e ku iye’dun

Igbo: ‘E keresimesi Oma

Edo: Iselogbe

Nigerian Christmas Food By Region

Christmas Food in Southern Nigeria

Ukodo

Ukodo is a southern Nigerian delicacy that involves adding yam and plantain to pepper soup.

Ingredients

Yams
Goat meat
Dry pepper
Seasoning
Pepper Soup spice
Crayfish
Dry fish
Salt.

Steps

Wash your meat into a pot.
Add pepper, pepper soup spice, seasoning, and salt.
Mix.
Add water and allow to boil
Cut yam into pieces.
Rinse and add to the pot of meat.
Add water and leave to boil.
Serve hot.

Pepper Soup

Ingredients

Meat and offal
Chili Pepper
Basil leave
Seasoning
Onion
Crayfish
Salt

Steps

Wash the meat thoroughly
Add salt and pepper soup seasoning
Add chili pepper
Add onion
Add crayfish
Add basil leave(optional)
Leave to boil
Stop cooking when meat is properly cooked.
Serve hot.

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White Rice and Banga Soup

Banga soup

Banga soup is a delicious dish made from boiling palm nuts until a puree is formed. It can be eaten with swallow or rice.

Ingredients

Banga soup
Pepper
Onion
Dry fish
Beef
Vegetable
Crayfish
Salt
Seasoning

Steps

Wash palm nuts and put them into a pot to boil
Put soft nuts into a mortar and pound.
Wash into a pulp and place in a pot
Put meat and fish in a pot
Add onion and seasoning.
Boil until meat is softened.
Add the banga pulp
Leave to boil
Add the vegetables
Leave to boil for a few minutes.
Serve hot.

Christmas Food in Eastern Nigeria

Nkwobi

Nkwobi is a spicy delicious dish from Eastern Nigeria, made with cow foot, palm oil, and seasoning. It is an expensive dish usually eaten during festive periods or sold in restaurants.

Ingredients

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2 Big Cow foot Cut into Small Chunks

3-4 pieces of Medium stock fish/ Okporoko/ Panla (Optional)

1/2 Cup Palm oil

1.5 Cups Ugba/Oil Bean

1 Levelled Tablespoon Ground Ehuru (Calabash nutmeg seeds)

2 Tablespoons Pepper Soup Spice

1 medium Onion ( Optional)

3-4 Scotch Bonnet/Atarodo

1 Teaspoon Kaun/Akawun/ Edible Potash

3 Tablespoons Ground Crayfish

3 Knorr Cubes, Preferably Knorr Chicken

Salt to Taste

For Garnishing…

Chopped Utazi leaves

2 Medium Size Red Onions Cut Into Rings.

Preparation:

First, thoroughly clean, then wash and boil the cow foot on medium to high heat. Add enough water to boil, then add the whole onion if you’re using any. Add the Knorr cubes and salt to taste. Boil till very soft, then discard the onion. To save time, you can use a pressure cooker for this.
Add the stockfish into a medium-size pot, add one Knorr cube and salt to taste, and boil till tender. Alternatively, you can just put them into a microwaveable bowl, add water, cover, and heat till it’s tender. When it’s tender, shred into bite-size chunks and set aside.
Dissolve the Akawun/Potash in a cup of stock from the boiled cow leg. Alternatively, you can just use hot water. You won’t succeed in dissolving all of the Potash, some particles will settle at the bottom….
Add the scotch bonnet, crayfish, and the ground Ehuru into a blender, blend till smooth…
If you’re using Ugba, pour the Ugba into a small pot, add water and salt to taste, boil for 3 minutes and set aside…You don’t need to boil your Ugba if you trust the source, however, it’s advisable to eliminate all traces of dirt and germs. Better safe than sorry.
Place another pot on the hob on medium heat, or just transfer the boiled cow foot into another container and place the same pot back on the hob. Add the palm oil, then add Akawun mixture gradually, be careful not to add the particles/ residue and be careful not to add too much of the mixture, you’ll need the consistency to be thick and not fluid, stir till it thickens considerably. This is called the Ngo sauce…
Now add the boiled cow leg, make sure the meat has cooled down first and isn’t piping hot….
Add the shredded stockfish.
Now, add the blended pepper and crayfish mix, pepper soup spice, and mix thoroughly.
If you’re using Ugba, strain and add into the pot at this time, stir. Combine thoroughly and leave to cook for 3-5 minutes, and it’s ready….
Serve immediately, garnish with onion rings, and thinly sliced Utazi leaves.
Enjoy!

Source: SisJemimah

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Fufu and Uha Soup

Uha soup is an Eastern favorite. It is made with Uha leaves, seasoning, and thickeners like cocoyam. It is usually eaten with fufu and some other type of swallow.

Uha Soup

Uha leaves
Smoked fish
Palm oil
Onion
Pepper
Meat
Onion
Basil leave
Crayfish
Seasoning
Cocoyam

Steps

Boil the meat with the seasoning and onions
Boil the cocoyam for twenty minutes
Remove bones from fish and add to meat.
Add water
Add oil
Add pepper
Leave to boil
Blend cocoyam and add to soup.
Add crayfish
Chop vegetables
Add vegetables
Leave to boil for a few minutes
Serve hot.

Christmas Food in Western Nigeria

Amala and Ewedu

Amala is made from flour realized through blending dry plantain or yam. It is created when this flour is poured into hot water and turned.

Ewedu Soup

This is a Yoruba delicacy. This is usually eaten with some kind of stew added to it.

Ingredients

Ewedu
Water
Crayfish
Maggi
Iru (Locust beans)
Salt.

Steps

Pick Ewedu leaves
Wash carefully and place in a pot.
Add water, Iru and leave to boil
When the leaves are soft, take off the fire and leave to boil.
Blend everything (together) with a little water.
Pour back into the pot and boil for a few minutes.
Serve hot.

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Christmas Food in Northern Nigeria

Tuwo Shinkafa and Miyan Taushe

Tuwo shinkafa is a Northern delicacy consisting of mashed native rice and some kind of soup. One such soup eaten alongside Tuwo Shinkafa is Miyan Tuashe soup.