Don't be alone, spend time with family this Christmas as you always did before

The holiday season is here. Growing up, we had embraced the European culture of Christmas trees.

By this time, we would have cut one already and decorated it with “mushinos”, cards, balloons and cotton wool to symbolise snow.

Christmas served as a family get together -- where we would ‘beat’ stories, eat and celebrate. Some of us in Eastlands ate delicacies that came only once a year.

This was also the time when one was bought new clothes and everyone patiently waited to see their friends’ clothes. So when I read a post by my good friend Tony Ontita as usual with the Muchoma language that is difficult to understand unless you grew up in the land of bananas it had me thinking.

This is what he posted “Was chatting with two different pals over lunchtime on phone, and asked about their Xmas plans. Dude said he plans to kunywa till ‘che’ on Christmas Eve and nurse his hangie ALL of Dec 25th (he’s a bachelor in his forties).

Mamacita, mid-thatez, said she plans to take her daughter to her (grand)mother in shags (to join her little cousins), then lock herself all Xmas Day in her crib, and binge on Netflix.

Xmas used to be a day for HUGE get-togethers (church, chapo, Christmas clothes, fammo reunions over mbuzi and moorats et al), but I am noticing more and more folks flying solo over Christmas.

What’s going on, this spirit of Alone on Christmas?” We might blame it on the economy but again people used to make sure they travel to be with family. Even the summer bunnies who are usually around this time making noise and setting standards are missing. A friend told me the amount he would need to take his family upcountry and to him it does not make economic sense.