Christmas in Ghana, or, Red Hot Santa

Our children are off school this week after a week of exams and another week of Christmas partying that included a visit from jolly old...well, "Santa." The momentous event took place last Thursday, when the students gathered outside, underneath a big mango tree in the playground, to await the arrival of Father Christmas. The students were stirred up into a frenzy and belted out a few carols to coax Santa out of his air-conditioned room and into the blazing sun of late morning to distribute their gifts, induce further merriment, and terrify small children. I should know, I was there...in every possible way!

At the first clang of Santa's rather large school bell, and the first glimpse of his disco Santa jumpsuit, chaos reigned and I'm sure at least one of the children present peed their pants (in his defense, Finn still wears a diaper so it was to be expected). Santa then conducted the laughing children in stirring, Boney-M-esque renditions of a few beloved Christmas carols. Then Santa nestled his ample bottom into the Christmas throne and began to dole out the gift-wrapped booty. I hope that you will now spend a good, long while (at least as long as Finn did) looking at the picture of Santa. If you can't shake the feeling that there is something altogether familiar about Santa, you can relate to my children's experience of the day.

Aside from Materia, all of the kids figured it out. We weren't sure about Cuyler, but when he was later asked who gave him his new dinosaurs, he swiftly answered "Da-Da." It was a bit surprising since he spent the better part of his time peering at me from behind mom, and was very reluctant to accept a gift from me. After I gave Cohen his gift, he leaned in and said, "See you later dad." Brontë begged me to admit that it was me, as there was still enough magic in her imagination to leave room for doubt. The kids reported later that their school mates had never had a Santa that was so funny before. Of course I have had prior experience as I played Santa in the school in Black Lake several years ago. Yep, that's me, always the class clown! I suppose there are worse things than being type-cast as Santa!

Generally speaking, Christmas here is much as it is in North America, with a slightly more British-Victorian flavour and considerably less snow! The Accra Mall has a Santa and it is thoroughly decorated, and most families travel for the holidays. Traffic has reached frustrating new levels of thickness and density, but we saw this coming. We bought a small Christmas tree for the house, hung the few decorations we brought and we remembered to bring our stockings (alas, no chimney). We are preparing for our homemade family safari over the break and we should awake on Christmas morning overlooking elephants at the watering hole. Not a bad way to stuff a stocking, I'd say.