The Christmas season is here again. Christmas, which is the celebration of the birth of the saviour and Messiah, Jesus Christ, is God's gift to mankind. The celebration of Christmas began around the 3rd century CE, when there arose a desire to celebrate the historical aspects of the life of Jesus.
It is not exactly clear on what date Jesus was born but the date December 25 has been unanimously agreed by Christendom as the date to celebrate His birth. Even at that some churches celebrate Christmas on days other than December 25.
The purpose of the celebration is to emphasize the importance of the birth of Jesus and how Christians are expected to follow His humble lifestyle. The importance of the celebration is further accentuated by the fact that it is Jesus came to the world in human flesh and died so humanity can have life abundantly and be reconciled with God. Without Jesus there would not have been redemption. He came to give mankind love, hope and joy. That is why His birth is being celebrated by Christendom worldwide.
Jesus represents love, generosity, selfless service, justice and peace. Christmas is a call to Christians to emulate the virtues of Christ so that in putting the virtues into practice, the world will be a better place.
The season is a time of giving, a time to demonstrate Christ's virtue of generosity. It is equally a time to show love. Because of that, people usually buy gift items, mostly in hamper baskets, which they share to loved ones and the under-privileged in the society. Others share foodstuff, mostly rice, while others share food to their neighbours on Christmas day.
The period of the festivities is characterized by organizing carols, internal decorations, especially with Christmas trees and sometimes outdoor decorations. Outdoor decorations are usually done by government offices as well banks and other business outfits that can afford it. People visit friends and loved ones while others travel to their home towns to spend the joyous season with family members.
With just days to the Christmas and New Year festivities, people are entertaining fears if the celebrations will be as enjoyable as other years. The prohibitive cost of transportation coupled with insecurity, has made travelling this Yuletide period a very hazardous venture. Transport fare from Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, to Lagos for instance, is N30,000. The same trip to Lagos by a choice transporter, whose vehicles come with air conditioner, is N37,000 while the trip to Abuja costs N39,000.
It is not only transport fares that have hit the rooftop, price of foodstuffs have also gone up, almost double the price they were one and a half years ago, with the November inflation rate standing at 34.60%. A 50kg bag of rice sells for between N90,000 and N100,000, depending on the brand. With this astronomical cost, some families may not have rice on their tables this Christmas. A carton of Noodles (super pack), which used to sell for N5,600 is now N12,000! A standard sized tuber of yam, which could be bought for a thousand Naira is now N8,000. A Christmas hamper basket that could be bought for between N25,000 and N30,000 a year and half ago is now N60,000. A standard hamper pack in an online store is N65,000 while a richer pack which contains more items, is N123,000.
With the hyper-inflation that has eroded the value of the Naira, it will be difficult for most families to give out gifts this year. A resident of Yenagoa, James Ebikeme, who normally gives out rice to friends and the under-privileged said, "every Christmas I used to give out two Custard container of rice along with a bottle of groundnut oil, a packet of salt, six tin tomatoes, seasoning cubes and other condiments, to between 20 and 25 persons but this year I cannot afford to do that. I just hope the usual beneficiaries will understand the situation".
With the exorbitant price of virtually everything, adjustment is the name of the game. Families have had to adjust and buy what they can afford and not what they want. For instance, some parents have had to resort to buying second hand dresses and shoes for their children, while others have trimmed down their Christmas purchases.
There is a newspaper report to the effect that some Abuja residents are going for homemade drinks like "Zobo" and "Kunu" this Christmas as price of carbonated soft drinks soar. "Zobo" is made from dried hibiscus petals with a blend of rich spices while "Kunu" is made from ground sorghum and spices. When refrigerated, both drinks are very refreshing. These homemade drinks are a cheaper option and also considered to be healthier than soft drinks.
Commercial banks are making things difficult for the common man as customers cannot access their monies. In most banks, customers cannot withdraw more than N10,000. Most automated teller machines (ATM) within the bank premises are either temporarily out of service or there is network problem.
Ironically, while the banks do not have cash to dispense to customers, Point of Sale (PoS) operators are right there just by the commercial banks, doing brisk business. This is because the banks prefer to sell cash to PoS operators, who are ready to give customers whatever amount they need but at a cut throat price as commission.
The whole scenario is suffocatingly frustrating. The current situation of hardship is graphically captured in a trending video, where Santa Claus, who ought to be giving kids gift items, was seen begging a road side food vendor for food to eat.
A neighbour who opted to be anonymous said, “With the present situation of things in Nigeria, we can no longer eat what we want, but what is affordable because of this excruciating inflation. This is certainly going to be a very bleak Christmas".
Nigerians must shun the temptation of allowing the Christmas celebration compel them to borrow money. With children's school fees to be paid in January, everybody should cut their coat according to their cloth, not their size and make the best out of the bleak situation they find themselves in. Merry Christmas to every Nigerian.
