REFLECTIONS ON CHRISTMASES PAST–PART 1 AND 2

REFLECTIONS ON CHRISTMASES PAST : PART 1

By Wilfred Kabs-Kanu

( Culled from “MENDAYKUNDA : The unabridged autobiography of a Loko Boy”, being written by The Editor of this paper)

There was a time when Africa was so delightful to live in that nobody would give a heck about life abroad. When I woke up today, Christmas Eve, and heavy rains drops petered down my rooftop, I could not avoid feeling out of sync. That was not the kind of weather I grew up to be accustomed to during Christmas in Africa.

In Africa,it seemed the weather (nature)and the Xmas festive atmosphere interplayed to sustain the perfect state of euphoria that swept in with the Yuletide season. Early in the morning, it is dew , falling at times like snow flurries , to be quickly replaced at sun up by beautiful sunshine and at night there was that wonderful moonshine under which those enthralling moonlight picnics were held. Ofcourse, Americans too would trade anything for that glorious white Xmas, the kind we had last year when snow fell on Christmas day in New Jersey for the first time in many years. Americans enjoyed a fantastic thrill because they had been dreaming of a white Christmas.

For me, though, a typical African boy who grew up in communities where people in those days made a religion out of enjoying roaring Xmases, the images of past Xmases would never dissipate from my memory.

I am a member of the Purple Haze and Super Combo generation —The generation in Sierra Leone that is walking around filled with nostalgia about how life used to be “sweet” in Sierra Leone before the politicians, soldiers and rebels destroyed what was a real Paradise on earth. There is no member of this generation who does not have an interesting story to tell about how life used to be “enjoyable” in Sierra Leone.

Christmas, for me, always holds wonderful memories of people caught in the throes of joyful celebrations of a season whose religious significance many of them hardly knew. To them, it is just that season called Christmas.That was all. It was the season when everybody was in ecstastic, bouyant jubilant mood ; when everybody seemed more pleasant than they normally were ; when , if you lived in Freetown then, programs were jampacked with moonlight picnics, parties, discos , jumps, and the pubs and clubs balled like they have never done all year. It was also the season of generosity, when people shared gifts and other pleasantries.

I grew up at Pratt Lane in Freetown before my father was later transferred from State House where he was Chief Cook to Bo Lodge , by the late Governor Sir Maurice Dorman . Pratt Lane was the very epicentre of Christmas celebration in those days. The enjoyment started from school , especially during the closing program for Christmas. In those days, schools closed around December 12. I attended Fergusson Street Municipal School then and the closing ceremonies were always memorable–concerts, games in clasrooms, a heavy feast during which the most delicious jollof rice imaginable in those days was served. I am still asking what ingredients they used to have in jollof rice in those days. The hog foot and cow beef tasted better and the jollof rice itself more red than today’s. I remember the euphonious Christmas carols the choral group sang in the assembly hall as we feasted. Then our Christmas gifts were distributed. I wonder who used to provide the funds for the toys we used to be given.We used to extol the Head Mistress , Mammy Pratt , for such profound generousity, but later when we grew up,we were told that the government provided the money.

Christmas at Pratt Lane then was centred around the many jollays and Debul groups that existed around the Lane itself, Fergusson Lane, Peter Lane and Portuguese Town ( which we heard pronounced those days “Potoki Togn” ). The bulk of the young men belonged to Huntings , Jollays, Ojehs and what have you and all you heard in those days was entertaining brags about plans to outdo other groups for Christmas. People did not have the kinds of stress that mark life in Sierra Leone and it seemed like all they talked about in those days was how to enjoy Xmas “to totality “.

Pratt Lane had its own Hunting Group .The Hunting Debul, led by Johnny, came out every Christmas day, but there were times when it was a “Fiary” that was brought out. Nothing was more pleasurable to us as kids than “following Debul”( Dancing behingd the debul as the procession, led by the “Debul”, jubiliated through the streets of Freetown . If you did not “fallah Debul” on Christmas day,you were counted nothing and your collegues teased you. Some bigger ones infact graduated from following the small street debul to the more grandiose exercise of following the East End Paddle Debul or the West End Bloody Mary. In those days, if you knew nothing of Remie—the head of the West End debul, you were counted as “buff” ( of no consequence).Some parents however used to beat their kids for following the bigger debuls because it was dangerous for kids. Being trampled by the throng was a major fear but I did not know anyone in those days who ever got trampled. But later in the 1970s, these debuls started fighting when their paths crossed and in 1976, the government banned processions with masked devils.

The build-up to Christmas was fascinating. People would buy clothing materials to be sewn by tailors. These dresses were what they had to wear on Christmas day, and everybody tried their best to make it groovier than the next person’s. At nights, we also went out to sing carols. We went door-to-door and since it was the season for generousity, we were given money which we shared among ourselves later. Some churches also sent out choral groups with musical instruments to spread the Christmas joy house-to-house.

On Christmas Eve, we stayed home to help our parents prepare the bounteous food that the families would have to share with each other. We the kids slaughtered the many chickens or ducks.I will never forget the stupenduous Christmas day feasts before leaving to “follow Debul”.It was usually the most delicious food of the year.
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REFLECTIONS OF CHRISTMASES PAST

PART 2

By Wilfred Leeroy Kabs-Kanu

Another moment in Sierra Leone that we kids used to look forward to then was the Annual Christmas Party for children at State House , hosted by the late Governor-General, Sir Henry Lightfoot-Boston.

By then, my family had moved to stay at State House( The Staff Quarters )after our father was transferred back to Freetown from Bo ) in 1962. We the kids at State House enjoyed twice. Sir Henry threw a special party for the kids at State House( children of all the employees, that is ), in addition to the general Christmas Party for kids in Freetown, and boy did we receive toys from the hands of His Excellency and Lady Muriel Lightfoot-Boston.

Though a primary school kid then, I could still remember how I was brought to the starling realization that His Excellency Sir Henry was a “bookman” par excellence ! ! !He was fantastic. During the party for State House kids, apart from merriment, we were made to read poems . With some of the younger kids on his lap, the Governor-General sat in his armchair and had us come up one at a time to read poems that we had “crammed” for the occasion.

When my turn came, I read the poem , THE BURIAL OF SIR JOHN MOORE. After an impression start and well in the middle of the poem, I got stuck and lost my “cog”. To the surprise and marvel of all, Sir Henry took up the recitation from there and completed the poem for me. We were actually impressed that the Governor-General knew the whole poem by heart. By the way, I learnt later from reading the then SIERRA LEONE YEAR BOOK ( Do you guys remember that marvellous yearly publication detailing everything about Sierra Leone and all members of government and parliamentarians ? ) that Sir Henry held double First Class Honours degrees ( one a B.A. and the other an LL.B).

In those days, both at Pratt Lane and the State House Quarters, I did not know of any family that did not have a roaring Christmas in its own way. Whatever the situations, kids, wives and husbands wore something new and grand for Christmas and a kid would boast of receiving at leat one toy, usually a water pistol or a car.As for the Christmas day feasts, the least said, the better. Families cooked big and sent food for each other. The variety of foods often tempted us the kids to overeat and we often “cholicked” after the festivities. When I went to an African country later as an adult and some citizens there had a penchant to regard Sierra Leoneans as poverty-stricken people, I always laughed at their stupidity and ignorance. I wished they lived in Sierra Leone during the good, old days from Independence to about 1984.

On Christmas day, the streets of Freetown were seething with joyful and exciting activities. Masked “debuls” Of all kinds–from huntings to fearies to keykeyrays were out there with throngs of adherents celebrating and dancing on the streets . There were so many debul songs that not even Stokes of Leonenet would have been able to keep track of all of them. People also painted their faces or wore Xmas “false faces” and rejoiced on the streets, singing : “Happy Kreismes , me nor die 0 ; Papa tenki , me nor die O “. There were solo and multiple performers, like the guy with a rope tied around his waist and his companion holding the rope and restraining him as he staggered and threatended : “Ah go fordom ” and his friend jokingly pleading : “Nor Fodom”. People gave them money after they performed their antics – pretending to fall down and being restrained .

Everybody was usually out on Christmas day doing something interesting. Another tradition was dressing majestically and visiting relatives and friends. Families usually cooked abundantly and reserved extra food for these visitors. The visitors come and eat to their hearts’ content. Christmas was one day in Sierra Leone that you did not deny anybody food–not even your enemy. Old enemies are known to reconcile on Christmas day and eat and drink together.

When I had become an adult and in college, I found that people in Sierra Leone enjoyed Christmas more than I had seen them do during my childhood.The Christmas season in Sierra Leone usually kicked off around November 15 when the SLBS would start playing carols and people would start decorating their homes with Christmas lights, garlands, wreaths and buntings. From that date, Freetown would take a new colourful look as shopping centres like PZ, Colisee, Petit Paris, Sweizzy, Kingsway, A.Genet and other landmarks would have been decorated too for Christmas. Town would be full with people doing the initial window-shopping or just hanging around to see friends or enjoy the Christmas atmosphere that had started building up. By the beginning of December, all the fun would have started. There would be fetes, moonlight picnics and special shows in the night clubs. These fetes became Afternoon Jumps later

TO BE CONTINUED