By Tapeng Michael Ohure
Christmas is around the corner and its simply festivity in Juba, South Sudan’s capital.
The day is one important feast that South Sudanese celebrate more than any other each year.
It is cherished by the entire people of South Sudan but comes with a cost to the pocket.
It takes a lot for people in South Sudan, in particular Juba to finish all preparations to ensure they spend Christmas well.
This ranges from cementing homes using clay soil, a tradition that was popular in the country more than a decade ago.
It also involves baking local biscuits commonly known as khabis in Arabic.
This week the preparations are in high gear ahead of the day on Saturday.
“I have bought clothes for my children, I have beautified my home, I have bought enough bedsheets because things are not very expensive in the market this year,” Tuna Tereza, a businesswoman in Juba told Juba Echo.
“In the past years, children used to celebrate Christmas with one cloth every year but our children these years are having more than 3 clothes for Christmas and we are very happy about that,” she said exuberantly.
“Now at my home, I have organized my house, I have done a lot of rehabilitation in my home, I bought new curtains, I purchased new sofa sets, I have baked local biscuits made of different ingredients.”
Like her, Mary Sebila Marko, a resident of Gumbo on the outskirt of Juba is excited.
“The first thing we started in preparation for Christmas was cementing our home with mud,” Marko told Juba Echo.
“I have not baked the local biscuits this year because we have no money for making the biscuits instead I am going to make a white stuff to supplement drinks,” she said.
Christmas falls on December 25th and around the globe, people go merry.
It’s a day synonymous with the birthday of the Biblical Jesus Christ, God’s son.
People simply love celebrating it, bringing together people from all walks of life.
Juma Rino, also from Gumbo said he will take time on the day to visit friends and relatives.
“During Christmas, there will be a lot of partying, we will drink all sorts of drinks,” Rino said.
“I hope this Christmas is going to be peaceful. During Christmas day I will go to church and after prayers I will visit whoever I haven’t met during the course of the year 2021.”
Juba resident Abaggar Hiteng as well said he hopes it takes away the challenges of the year.
“We are really appreciative to God for keeping us up to this year and we hope that this year’s celebration goes well, peaceful,” Hiteng said.
“We call for more blessings in the coming new year, 2022.”
