Christmas, a really wonderful time
of the year is celebrated in many
ways all over the world. The
celebration is mostly about
exchanging gifts and organizing
special meals and many festive
foods for friends and families. In
Nigeria, a lot of exciting things
happen during the Christmas
period, from one month Calabar
Carnival, where exotic culture,
wealth and beauty are displayed
to a variety of celebrations that
occur in the villages when people
travel home.
However, in United States, the
people have many different ways
of celebrating Christmas. They
always make Christmas look like it
was created in America, from their
traditional turkey meal to
Christmas tree decoration.
Here are 10 exciting ways
Americans do Christmas better
than Nigerians; these will make 1. Santa Claus – the myth
guy Americans love
because he is the father
of Christmas
There is no Christmas without
Santa Claus in America. Even
though, Nigerians are trying to
buy into this Christmas culture of
pulling up Santa Claus in some
children’s Christmas parties, it is
not as fun and amazing as the
way Americans celebrate the
festive period with him. The kids
love him, and the whole ‘Santa
Claus is real’ debacle keeps their
imagination running wild. Little
wonder that America has an
opulence of Christmas traditions
that are both spiritual and fun
fulfilling.
2. String up millions of
Christmas lights
Photo Source: Bing Wallpaper
Nigerians do take Christmas lights
for granted. It is not that we do
not put some little lights around
us but in America, the whole city
is all lights. America is a country
of light during the Christmas
period, it’s like its their heritage.
Even Thomas Edison who invented
the light bulb knew that
Christmas period should be
lightened. The ceremony of
lighting begins as the streets and
cities attract thousands of people
to celebrate in unity and love.
3. Christmas dinner –
The one meal that unites
families
Photo source: Yelp.com
Nigerians can cook special
Christmas meals…We are yet to
see a country that can beat us in
this tradition. We spend days
preparing for it and this cooking
may take many hours to prepare.
Most times, food is ready in the
afternoon. Everyone comes around
and eat before disappearing to
spend time in other people’s
homes. However, in the United
States, the Christmas dinner is
one special time of reunion and
refreshing that missing out of this
meal can be devastating. In
Nigeria, the meal is all about fried
chicken and rice while it’s
normally about roasted turkey and
vegetables in America.
4. Christmas Tree
Photo Source: Yelp.com
Nigerians can celebrate Christmas
without the infamous Christmas
tree. It is not that we do not know
that we should buy Christmas
trees, this tradition is just not as
important as the lights to
decorate our homes. It does not
matter if it is a fake or real tree in
America, everyone wants a
Christmas tree. Americans
understand that without a tree,
their homes may look weird during
Christmas.
5. Cards and postage – a
die-hard tradition that the
social media cannot
replace
Photo
Source: Blissfulanddomestic.com
Nigerians are good in sending
good wish messages during
Christmas with their phones by
sending text messages or making
long calls. However, we have lost
the tradition of sending cards to
our loved ones. This is what
Americans cannot forget to do.
They will still send SMS, emails
and calls to their loved ones but
check their postal boxes; there are
Christmas cards arriving from
different homes, cities and
countries to wish each other well.
6. Floral arrangements
changes the interior
design of homes
There is hardly a home that does
not tell you that Christmas is in
the air with their floral
arrangements in America. Their
beautiful arrangement of floral is
creative and adds colour to the
festive period.
7. Soulful carol services
and events
Photo Source:
Theatreinthepark.com
The carol songs never seem to end
in America. Even when it looks as
if someone is not happy to sing
again, the clicking, tickling and
mechanical sounds of lights and
decorations on the Christmas
trees have some songs for you. In
Nigeria, the Christmas days of
carolling is always enchanting and
soulful in our churches and
special gatherings but the carol
and candlelight events in America
are special soulful moment, so
magical and religious.
8. Special gifts,
beautifully wrapped
We give kids mostly money as
Christmas gifts and the adults are
forgotten. In America, serious
attention is paid on what every
member of the family gets. These
presents are perfectly wrapped
and hung on the Christmas trees.
These gifts are magical for the
kids and for the adults. Children
believes that the Santa Claus
always leave their gifts in
stockings and they are hung by
the fire or placed under the
Christmas trees. Everyone
deserves a Christmas present in
America.
9. Midnight Mass
Photo Source: Wikipedia
The one night that Nigerians
respect during the festive period is
the New Year Eve. But in America,
celebrating Jesus Christ’s
birthday is very significant. This is
celebrated with a midnight mass
around the first second, minute
and hour of Christmas Day. It is
one midnight, thousands of people
visit churches in a year.
10. Children’s nativity
play
Photo Source: Wikipedia
The kids are not left behind during
the Christmas activities in
America. The nativity plays are
always one of the special
moments parents abandon
everything they are doing to watch
their kids play the Biblical story of
the birth of Jesus. At the end of
the plays, refreshments are served
and gifts are passed too.
Get the best of Christmas by
visiting the America for some
electrifying experience that will
make your vacation more
memorable. Have you visited any
city in United States during the
Christmas period? Share your
experience with us.
you feel very Christmassy.

rubbish

We have our own ways of celebrating it better than the Americans too.

Christmas is celebrated in Nigeria for spiritual/ religious reasons, whereas in the US it's very commercialized. People have often said that New Years in the village is where it's at because NY is more culturally significant for us in Nigeria. That's what I'd say