%PDF-1.7 1 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Outlines 2 0 R /Pages 3 0 R >> endobj 2 0 obj << /Type /Outlines /Count 0 >> endobj 3 0 obj << /Type /Pages /Kids [6 0 R 20 0 R ] /Count 2 /Resources << /ProcSet 4 0 R /Font << /F1 8 0 R /F2 9 0 R /F3 10 0 R /F4 11 0 R /F5 12 0 R /F6 14 0 R >> /ExtGState << /GS1 15 0 R /GS2 16 0 R /GS3 17 0 R /GS4 18 0 R >> >> /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] >> endobj 4 0 obj [/PDF /Text ] endobj 5 0 obj << /Producer (dompdf 3.1.0 + CPDF) /CreationDate (D:20251016194655+00'00') /ModDate (D:20251016194655+00'00') >> endobj 6 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 7 0 R >> endobj 7 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 1543 >> stream xWMo6ﯘclh}kHҤ_H((+1Dhn]GF ÒIǙ7oFEQDn7o((K;iiFEts zu7$GV'-ݼ'768J]f8c9F`3SE_Xӑ"zw88Mg~g嫽_(XV-66/Jƒ5MS67Xq3٫Zމ{)Y$"NYb)dZJ5Ԩ4NP%HNw8/XT&.`0a=gnevel[P}F-}g]^DK.-9fe]Ȳ<<$[z͵ؒdJX&,޳܎~nZRP%Ҳsɪ(c$ lJiC1g޽ 6-w,)vSH &>ȁ[!+hˑ&5ͽO6ZTqK+Y5k+o*3EOi".lvjcӉ1Nz'{Xخe- 4q7Y~4!@َl j{YWp@TpÅӥ. FϚĵ\i"kn+pJРFѨHu/v9Mq >}OFio3U/kz4&}|,JH@?: .KܱE0*'`WR4[F?[1{,>;h59ۼaeX#-[؀W- x ,2JmK"X(ͦrg:|DK乥,T #fb1@VIi)$GB}yp&\|-\MXZw;] cV'IZ(^TIǓ[Qap侾p( ^z$es4(|GZ2U܊ƀ:ziXllB}B{)DyƆ ,D[n"xW5#G>ݎ,FJ}/C% CTFidO_@(:e }Į擴@VDN.\?(F􊏖5; 4!NMf@{%rWm="-W[;jog8aJ돀FA#4{> endobj 9 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F2 /BaseFont /Times-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 10 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F3 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 11 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F4 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 12 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F5 /BaseFont /Helvetica-Oblique /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 13 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 14 0 obj << /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 /Name /F6 /BaseFont /Times-Roman /Encoding /WinAnsiEncoding >> endobj 15 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 1 >> endobj 16 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 1 >> endobj 17 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /CA 0.3 >> endobj 18 0 obj << /Type /ExtGState /BM /Normal /ca 0.3 >> endobj 19 0 obj [6 0 R /Fit] endobj 20 0 obj << /Type /Page /MediaBox [0.000 0.000 612.000 792.000] /Parent 3 0 R /Contents 21 0 R >> endobj 21 0 obj << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 275 >> stream xmN0~=v‘ @=TɍrJpLD<0O qّWO3iW6(XNgM%3@] a+*PGgJv Fyh 2X29a_}o ΰ)}?`k>uiOvC sM Fm l_.ԘfIb9Žˮ{o0rgR)7#RqEŒzK C5Amb$$LBL~WIs endstream endobj xref 0 22 0000000000 65535 f 0000000009 00000 n 0000000074 00000 n 0000000120 00000 n 0000000401 00000 n 0000000430 00000 n 0000000579 00000 n 0000000682 00000 n 0000002298 00000 n 0000002405 00000 n 0000002513 00000 n 0000002623 00000 n 0000002736 00000 n 0000002852 00000 n 0000002881 00000 n 0000002991 00000 n 0000003048 00000 n 0000003105 00000 n 0000003164 00000 n 0000003223 00000 n 0000003252 00000 n 0000003357 00000 n trailer << /Size 22 /Root 1 0 R /Info 5 0 R /ID[<6fb21674c24b3431e2165ae74b4212e8><6fb21674c24b3431e2165ae74b4212e8>] >> startxref 3705 %%EOF Christmas in Kenya | Caring Magazine
Read Caring Magazine Volume 29

Vol. #29

Hope in Action

Read Issue

Latest Impact StoriesView All

Popular Topics

PopularView All

Christmas in Kenya

December 12, 2008
2 minute read
Total
0
Shares
0
0
0
Listen to this article

Family celebrations honor the birth of the baby Jesus.

by Jolene Hodder, Lt. Colonel –

Caroling on Kabete Compound includes cookie distribution to neighbors [by Jessica Hodder].

With approximately 88.5 percent of the Kenyan population Christian, Christmas is actively celebrated throughout the country. As the shepherds journeyed to Bethlehem after receiving the news of Christ’s birth, millions of Kenyans living in urban centers travel to their homes in the rural areas for the occasion. Since most do not own vehicles, the roads are filled with all sorts of public transportation.

Once home on the family “shamba” (farm), celebrations begin—with lots of eating. Utensils are optional. Chickens, sheep, goats, and cows are slaughtered by the thousands. In fact, the family will husband the animals for at least 6 months just to prepare for this special day.

As in other parts of the world, people gather in churches to pray, and all-night prayer vigils and celebrations on Christmas Eve are common. Churches are decorated with balloons, ribbons, flowers, greenery, and sometimes even the branches of trees. As expected, everyone wears his or her best attire.

You won’t find many commercial signs of Christmas in Kenya. Holiday lights adorn only the commercial buildings in the capital of Nairobi. If you are lucky you may see a Santa Claus or two, and shopping for gifts is rare. If a child does get a gift, it is usually clothing or a new pair of shoes for school. However, families will often choose to purchase a gift for baby Jesus, which is later distributed to the needy by the church.

While I do miss some of our Christmas traditions back home, it is refreshing to simply focus on the Christ child.

Sikukuu njema ya Krismasi
(“Merry Christmas” in Swahili)

Download this page as a PDF

You May Also Like