At least 40 babies were born on Christmas day, in four major hospitals in Kigali, by midday.

However, contrary to the usual trend where many of them instantly receive the truest of Christmas names, most parents interviewed preferred to choose names which don’t have christmas in their definition for their newborns.

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One such parent is Winnie Mutesi, who gave birth at Hôpital Croix du Sud. For her, there is no better feeling on Christmas than bringing a new life into the world.

Mutesi carefully selected the name Ivah Iriza Muhumuza for her daughter, emphasizing that she wanted the name to hold a deeper meaning rather than just being coincidental to the birthdate.

She explained that the name Ivah means 'God is gracious'. However, it also carries biblical significance, as it refers to the city that was conquered by the Assyrians. It has a Hebrew origin, meaning "overturning."

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On the other hand, Iriza is a name traditionally given to a girl who is the firstborn, and Muhumuza holds personal family significance for Mutesi.

For some other parents, the fact that their child was born on Christmas is reason enough to choose a name related to the holiday.

Anthony Mugisha, a proud father whose wife also gave birth to a healthy daughter at Muhima District Hospital, expressed his joy by saying: "Holding our baby girl on Christmas day is a double celebration, and we felt that her name should reflect that."

They decided to name their daughter Carol Luna Irebe Mugisha, with Carol symbolizing the "sweet chants of Christmas", to capture the joy and festive spirit associated with the holiday.

According to a mini survey conducted by The New Times, 18 Christmas babies were born at Muhima Hospital, 10 at Kacyiru Hospital, 6 at Hôpital Croix du Sud, and another 6 at CHUK, by midday.