CHRISTMAS IN ZIMBABWE          - 22/12/2011      <--Prev : Next-->


Christmas in Zimbabwe is like very few other Christmases anywhere else in the world

The fire engine was called today to help put the final touches to the motley lights up outside the park !! Last time I saw the fire engine was on Friday, screaming up the main street, bells and whistles blowing, a swathe of wedding veil streaming from the arial, with the balloon and ribbon covered vehicles of a wedding party in hot pursuit !!

The bride and her retinue were gathered at the City Fountain in the park, the fountain was not working sadly and the park is looking pretty bleak, but the wedding guests were festive and the grass was green at least

There are no decorations in the shops, a tinsel draped Christmas tree here and there, but not much to write home about and Christmas carols are few and far between on the radios and in the shops

The queues outside the banks and building societies are long and dreary, but at least the populace is looking well-heeled and a whole lot chubbier and more prosperous than they were a couple of years ago

But those were the minuses, the plusses far outweigh them thankfully

The Zimbabwe offspring are here by their hundreds, thousands maybe Its evident in the buzz, the beautiful young fresh faces, the nightclubs, coffee bars and restaurants have come alive

The dear old dismal tin shack airport is thronging with homecoming families, tears, tissues and bouquets for returning loved ones

There are carols a plenty if you look for them, the schools have all had carol concerts, Rotary hosted Carols by Candlelight, several venues hosted carols and on Wednesday night the Drums of Peace will play at 26 on Park

The shops this year are glorious, Edgars has a divine selection of clothes !! The restaurants are doing a roaring trade and we had some excellent Indian prawns in garlic and lemon butter at the Cattleman last night !!

Its so heartening to see all the townsfolk going back to their rural homes for Christmas, the hardware shops are buzzing with people buying building materials to take home for the holidays

I popped in to buy a ladder at Halsted Brothers and they were at least a dozen from which to choose, spoilt for choice I was confused as well as delighted !!

It does distress me to see so many folk waiting for transport unsuccessfully along the road, but we are now blessed with an excellent bus system, some of our buses rival those magnificent trans American greyhound buses !!

The rain of course has been wonderful, the weather is always glorious, there are corncurls on the shelves, one sees happy smiling relatives waving packets of them in glee at the airport There is biltong, boerewors and braais galore and the lakes and rivers are buzzing with boats

While we are playing happy families, I would like to take this opportunity of wishing all the Mirror readers worldwide, a blessed, peaceful, gloriously happy Christmas and maybe the New Year will bring us whatever it is that we wish for

Let us pause and reflect on those who are in grief, have sadnesses and sickness, have lost someone special, and let us thank God for what we have and what we will have in the future

May God's richest blessings fall on you all abundantly

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