“Every Christmas in Ghana”
As you know, Robert, the Ethiopian priests didn't 'dance' down the aisle, not in the Catholic or Coptic churches. So,…
Every Christmas, all around Ghana, there are tons of these parties and they are full of everything that exists in human life in Ghana and worldwide.
by Kathleen Ryan (Ghana 1969-71)
Accra, Ghana, 17 March 2008: Busy shopping street scene in central Accra.
I remember the impromptu Christmas party that year. Some Peace Corps volunteers were in town waiting to travel north so I invited them to my House, to my house in Bolga. Patrick, another volunteer in my town, and I went to the bar at the Hotel d’Bull. We begged for beer, for Star Beer. We had to promise to bring back every bottle. Bottles were precious. I made sugar cookies for the first time. My mother had sent a few cookie cutters. The cookies actually tasted good. I was a bit surprised. As per Peace Corps custom, the volunteers brought food or gave money as you never showed up empty handed to another volunteer’s house. They also contributed to the beer fund. We sang Christmas carols. I remember someone saying just don’t sing “I’ll be home for Christmas.”
Later in the evening, we went outside behind the wall of my house and sat and talked. Stars filled the sky. A couple of falling stars made the evening almost magical.
The next morning I found a 20 pesewa coin in the tiny stocking my mother had sent which I had hung on the wall. Back then 20 pesewas, about 20 cents, could buy bananas and oranges and even a taxi ride around Accra. It was a wonderful surprise present.
This post by Kathleen Ryan first appeared on Keep The Coffee Coming,
One Christmas Eve in Ghana, Paula and I drove from Kumasi to northern Ghana. We went to a Catholic mission church for Midnight Mass. Mary, Joseph, Angels, the entire crèche and the priest danced from the back of the church down the aisle to take their places at the altar for Carolina’s the Mass. it was a special Christmas indeed. Thank you for helping to resurrect this memory.
Robert Hamilton (Bahar Dar, Ethiopia 1965-67)
As you know, Robert, the Ethiopian priests didn’t ‘dance’ down the aisle, not in the Catholic or Coptic churches. So, that must have been a surprise, especially for Paula.