Christmas????

My calendar tells me that Christmas is just four days away, but I would never know it. There is no snow, Christmas trees or Christmas decorations. There are some Christmas songs in English on the radio now and then. Although advent is being observed, there are no advent candles in church.
My banking town is a little different, I have seen Christmas trees in some of the restaurants and hotels, probably for the tourist, and I hear more Christmas music on the radio. American Christmas music is fairly popular and one of my classes begged me to teach them Jingle Bells. I could not explain”in a one horse open sleigh” in Malagasy and had to draw a picture of it. Then I realized there are no horses around and so I drew a cow and we sang “in a one cow open sleigh”. I taught the nuns “Oh, Holy Night”, my favorite, but they could not get the tune down and sang it to the tune of “Silent Night” which they know if French, it works, sort of!
In Central America where I lived for many years, you knew it was Christmas because everywhere you went vendors sold nativity scenes. They did not just sell the ubiquitous, Mary, Joseph, infant Jesus, angles, a few shepherds and the wise men, they sold the entire town of Bethlehem, including all the “hotels” that turned them away.
Everywhere I went in all the countries we lived throughout Central America I was approached by vendors selling their version of the holy family. One day I noticed a woman with a few children in tow, trying very hard to sell her nativity scene to a wealthy looking women who was going into the supermarket. The potential buyer looked at the faces on the holy family and declared them the ugliest figures she had seen and said no to the women.
The seller, looked at the faces on her nativity figures and her face fell a hundred yards. I waited a few moments and walked over to her and looked at her scene. By this time, she was so dejected she had lost the enthusiasm to sell and did respond to my interest. I bought the figures in hopes to restore her hope and took them with me. When I returned home my family agreed that they were the absolute ugliest, if not scariest faces they had ever seen. The faces were complete with blackened evil looking eyes and large open nostrils. Thus, began my “ugliest” nativity scene collection throughout Central America. At times, trying to pick out what I considered the “ugliest” I would tell the vendors,” No, it is too pretty, I want a really ugly one” which was met with perplexed looks. I will miss taking those figures out to display.
But here in Madagascar there are no Christmas cookies, special dishes or traditions. There are no nativity scenes to buy. My girls club/English club and I made a Mary, Joseph, Baby Jesus and Angle, complete with a Christmas tree out of “trash”, empty toilet paper rolls and bits and pieces of trash that we cleaned up. They turned out very well and they were so happy to take them home to show their families.
A friend asked if Christmas would be a sad time, away from family, a contemplative time or a mix. I have no real expectations and will be content with whatever the day brings. My only concern was to send Ester Price candy to my children and I was able to accomplish that.

I know friends and family have sent cards and a few packages, but I will probably receive those in the new year. The thoughtfulness and knowing they are on their way is enough for today. It is peaceful, not having all the commercial trappings or trimmings of Christmas back in the USA.  Many of us have an absurd exaggerated idea that everyone else is having a better Christmas and try to out do others in decorations, gifts, parties etc. This Christmas I am content spending it in Madagascar, with only the gentle reminder of the day a baby was born many years ago, that changed the world.

Wishing everyone back home a wonderful Christmas day with family and friends – please eat a few Christmas cookies for me!

My Nativity scene and my Christmas Tree

My neighbors baby – we made a playpen out of a box shipped to me.

I can not decide – they all look the same to me!

A neighbor, just slaughtered his pig and selling parts of it, I asked for a photo instead!