Do They Know It’s Christmas?
I love Christmas.
It’s my favorite holiday of the year.
The lights, the music, the food, the innocence, the cold weather…these are all the things I love about Christmas.
I’ll admit I wasn’t totally prepared for my first Christmas in South Africa. I mean, part of me knew that Christmas comes as summer begins, but I (optimistically, perhaps) thought that it would still feel like…you know…Christmas.
It…well…doesn’t.
Maybe it’s because Christmas isn’t as big a deal in South Africa in the states.
Or maybe it’s because, well, it’s summer.
Bringing American Christmas to South Africa
My optimistic self thought I’d bring a little American Christmas to Stellenbosch and go all “Clark Griswold” decorating the house.
HAHA! Joke’s on me!
Here in South Africa houses don’t have outdoor sockets. They don’t have them in the bathrooms, either, which I also find odd.
Option 2 was to get a light socket adapter…but that’s not really a thing here either.
Then I realized that perhaps one of the reasons people don’t put lights on their houses (aside from Eskom and our friend loadshedding) is that it’s summer…
…and it’s hot
…and it doesn’t get dark until after 9pm.
So even if I had lights on the house, they’d be on for maybe an hour before heading to bed.
So, I’ve given up on decorating the house…this year.
I WILL find a way come next Christmas.
Christmas In Cape Town
Cape Town isn’t all Grinch…it is the festive season in the Western Cape, after all. And Cape Town does have its Christmas things. There’s the Adderley Street Lights downtown, the V&A Waterfront does have a giant Christmas tree, Carols by Candlelight at the Wine Farms (which I’m told is just an excuse to drink good wine), and there are some Kersmark, or Christmas Markets around town.
It’s just a lot less “Christmas-y” here and more like a summer vibe in the States.
It’s more braais and beach time and a lot less hot cocoa, mulled wine, and fires in the fireplace.
Although to be fair… having a fire in the fireplace when it’s 90 degrees outside is pretty f*cking stupid.
When In Rome, I Guess
So, now Christmas is going to look different for me. It’ll be more of a mid-summer BBQ than I’m used to and, well, I’ll just have to adapt.
It’ll be new traditions mixed with some old traditions (yes, I’ll be making cioppino on Christmas Eve) and celebrating Christmas will evolve.
Last year Kim made an angel out of masks to celebrate our first Christmas together and that angel traveled with me to South Africa for our first Christmas as husband and wife…and many more to come.
I guess that’s the thing.
Mixing the new with the old and creating something awesome.
Maybe that’s the lesson…
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