Christmas in Liberia
Christmas in Liberia, West Africa:
Perhaps my Christmas picture doesn’t look traditionally Christmas-like. Instead it is a picture with my normal wearing during worship services. Personally for us, we see Christmas as a reminder and fulfillment of the promises of God in the following scriptures:
Genesis 3:15 “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
Isaiah 7:14 “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Matthew 1:22-23 “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”(which means “God with us”).
Luke 2:6-7 “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”
Therefore, our major purpose for Christmas is to go to church, to worship Him and to praise Him for His salvation that He offered us. Together, we also prepare a good meal for the Christmas and we share with others.
With Liberians, we believe that the concept of celebrating Christmas was introduced by the African American brothers who were sent to Africa in the A. D. 1800 when slavery was abolished in the west. They were hosted by the native Liberians. They brought Christianity and civilization in Liberia. From those first Christians, Liberians have the concept of the way Americans celebrate Christmas. People share gifts, decorate Christmas trees and others are dressed in funny clothes with people behind them begging. People who are not Christians and have the financial means spend Christmas day in clubs and beaches drinking and having fine times, while the poor people stay home without meal and nowhere to go.
