Christmas is here. Sunday Times reporters took off time to ask Rwandan political and religious leaders, celebrities, and artistes about how they will celebrate this Christmas and what the day implies in biblical and modern times. Below are the excerpts.

The Most Reverend Archbishop, Emmanuel Kolini Head of the Church of Rwanda

Christmas has two messages; foremost, it is a day that is dedicated to all children. Jesus’ birth is an important representation of all children and so they have to celebrate it, for it is their day.

Secondly, it is a message of peace and joy to the world. Jesus was born to bring peace to the world so we should all use it as an occasion to promote peace in the world. All people in this country should use this Christmas to reflect on peace and uphold it.

Also on Christmas, I reflect on the importance of my parents. This is so because they gave me the gift of life, something I cannot give back. More so, on Christmas, I have to be a peacemaker as a way of promoting peace for all God’s people.

But largely, peace should prevail everyday. People must respect God and do what He wants on a daily basis.

Kije Mugisha, Deputy Director ORINFOR and Director Rwanda Television

As a Christian, I celebrate Christmas because it is the day Christ was born. It is a day when people are supposed to give back to their loved ones. To me, it is a day of giving and also receiving gifts. A day to reflect on the good work done by Christ.

As a tradition in our family, Christmas was always a day our mother cooked exceptionally good food for us and also we would exchange gifts with friends and other family members. It reminds us that excitement that a washed every family, Church and all people.

On Christmas day, I will be with my family and for us it is a joyous day. For me. it is special in a way that it will be the first time in six years that I will celebrate Christmas together with the rest of my family.

My mother, Jane Mukamusoni Mugisha and my young sister Angelica will be here for Christmas, so this is a special Christmas for me and my family. We will go to Church and then enjoy each others’ company at home for the rest of the festive season.

What is Christmas?

Christmas is a celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth. The Christmas’s story comes from the Bible and it tells us how the three wise men and the shepherds followed the star to Bethlehem and to the stable where Jesus was born.

In the book of Genesis, God creates Adam and Eve but later the two rebel against the creator by eating the forbidden fruit. God expels them both from the garden of Eden and curses them.

Most Christians to date look at Jesus Christ as a ‘new Adam’ who brings life back to man instead of death. So, Jesus died that Christians’ faith and hope could be restored.

The bible teaches that Christ was born for our benefit and that everything he did and suffered was for us. Most families hold a short Christmas parties during the festive season.

The custom of exchanging gifts began in memory of the gifts that the shepherds and the wise men brought to the Christ child. Many persons exchange gifts and decorate their homes.

Also traditionally, Christmas cards acted as simple gifts, and usually carried pictures of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus, or other parts of the Christmas story. Today, pictures are often jokes, winter pictures, Father Christmas, or romantic scenes of life in past times.

Christmas in modern times

Christmas is celebrated in different ways by different countries. How do these celebrations differ?

According to internet sources, today in the West, not many people consider or care much about the religious meaning of Christmas day.

Most people in United Kingdom or most of the other European countries will not only go to a religious church meeting, but also on Christmas.

In UK, many shops stay open till late Christmas Eve and often open again on Boxing Day with the cut-price 'sales'. (Not much holiday for the poor shop workers!).

A visitor from another world or distant places would think that Christmas isa festival dedicated to the gods of money and shopping. This is a marked and radical departure from what the Christian teaching ought to be.

A lot of consumerism driven by capitalism has taken over Christmas day celebrations. This phenomenon is also seen in recent times in our midst too. Many people do hope for more than presents at Christmas.

For the older generations, some would without doubt want to a return to the days gone by. Others would definitely want to somehow return to a time in their childhood. That good old time, when life was simpler and made more sense, before the troubles of adult life arrived.

A number of old Christians you come across would hope and want to feel sure that behind all the fun and decorations, there must somehow be a message, something more, some key to life, hope and happiness.

So as we celebrate Christmas once again, we ought to look beyond the way Christmas is celebrated today, that is, to seek God’s face for sanctification.

Mufti Sheik Said Bakari, Deputy Mufti

Sheik Bakari says Christmas is a day of happiness even within Muslim community. Moslems celebrate it because they regard Jesus who is Issa from Islamic point of view.

Moslems also believe that Jesus (Issa) was a representative of God on earth, who also came to liberate us out of sins. The birth of Jesus therefore is very important to us.

The only disagreement between the Moslem community and the rest of other religions like Catholics is about the actual date of his birth. Moslems don’t believe that Jesus was born on December 25.

We believe it was much earlier or later but on December 25. However, this cannot cloud the facts that Issa was God’s Prophet who did a lot of good things.

Personally, I don’t enjoy it by going out. I enjoy the day at home together with my family. When my friends invite me, I go and have fun with them.

Apostle Joshua Masasu, Chairman of Forum for Born-Again Churches of Rwanda (FOBACOR)

Apostle Masasu says Christmas day is a reminder to Born-Again churches that Christians have to behave and walk like Jesus Christ.

Christmas means that we have to talk and walk Christ’s way and direction. To do what he wants us to do. Not to follow him by the word of mouth but actions.

Joseph Habineza, Minister of Youth, sports and culture

I am a practicing Christian and for that reason I will be celebrating Christmas massively. This has been a traditional thing for me and the rest of my family. I particularly believe in celebrating Christmas as a person and a devout Christian.

It is also family get together for me and other family friends. We celebrate it as a family and for the rest of the country, I think since it falls at a time when the year is about to end, people should use that period to reflect on the ending year and also set goals for the next year.

Rasta Natty Dread Mitali, Musician

As a Rastafarian, I have got nothing to do with Christmas. It has no significance as far as I am concerned. What I know is that Jesus was not born on 25th December. Christmas day is man made and is not indicated any where in the Bible which I read and believe in.

What it has come to represent is just business. It is a day when people make quick money for their personal enrichment while the poor remain in perpetual poverty. So it is not something I am keen about to celebrate.

However when I am invited by friends to celebrate with them, I will go as a sign of courtesy and enjoy. To me, Easter Sunday celebrations would be more relevant than Christmas.

Even Sunday is not worth anything to me. It is Saturday when people should rest and that is when God rested. I would rather celebrate the birth day of Bob Marley and also commemorate the day he died.

That is more meaningful to me than Christmas. Bob Marley’s birthday is real and not man made so it becomes more relevant to me as a Rastafarian. For us in the Rastafarian community, Emperor Haaille Sellasie is more celebrated than Jesus Christ.

This in part explains how the celebration of Christmas is largely nothing of significant importance to me and some of my colleagues in the community.

Dr Claude, Musician

Personally, I am not traditionally inclined to celebrating Christmas since I am a Muslim by religion. But all the same, I have many friends who are  Christians and I wish them a happy  Christmas day and great festivities.

I will be joining some of the members of the Christian community who are my friends to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ.

As a musician, I will most probably hold some shows to entertain people but at the moment, I have not yet got any concrete program for the day.

For me and the rest of my family Christmas is always a day that give us a chance to rest and have a holiday since other days, we are occupied with work and no rest.

Ends