Merry Christmas
This post is just to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Many thanks for subscribing and, even more, for reading and commenting. I am thoroughly enjoying digging up my back stories for you and will start again on January 8th. The first couple of posts were written a few days in advance, but lately I’ve relaxed into my usual journalistic habit… totally last minute. I will resume in that way, but no idea in what part of the world.
I’ve spent a few Christmases without any family around and I daresay some of you might be doing the same this year. One time, in a tiny village called Kajo Kaji on the Sudan-Uganda border, the entire community turned out on Christmas Eve to party, dancing to Congolese music until dawn started to light up the Eastern horizon. Then the people started to lay down on the ground and go to sleep. Others simply lay on top of them until there were cairns of humans all around the fire. The only rule was that men and women were separate. When I asked someone why they did that, he was mystified: doesn’t everyone sleep like that when outdoors, to stay warm and protect each other from wild animals?
I crept away and found a bed in a hut. When I woke up the sun had set and I’d entirely missed Christmas Day. The party, however, had begin again.
Thanks once again and have a lovely day wherever you may be!
Kevin