Sweet December
During the month of December, a deep Christmas spirit erupts to fill every corner of Hanna Niangâs village. The crisp winter weather is a joyous gift after months of heat and rain, and at night, Christmas decorations twinkle in harmony with the sounds of youth caroling from door to door.
Niangâs village lies near the Chin State. The Chin State is home to many communities of Chin people, and you can often find an entirely different language or culture in just the next town over. Niang herself is Zo Chin.
The holiday season begins with a celebration called âSweet December,â celebrated on December 1st. For Niangâs family, itâs a time to gift and eat sweets, gather at church for worship, and follow the program until the youth take over with activities or lighthearted pranks.
âThereâs always a comedian, you know⊠they might perform, tell jokes. One time I remember the youth asked the pastor to dress in a silly way he never dressed before. We always have a lot of fun,â she says.
The day ends with a dinner of milk tea and sticky rice.
Preparations
According to Niang, celebrating Christmas in the village is much more fun than it is in the city. The village has unlimited space for locals to play music âas loudly as [they] want.â Chin State Christians account for 85% of the 6% of Christians living in Myanmar, so there are plenty of people to join in the celebration (although Buddhists and Muslims are always invited to celebrate in their âown wayâ).
In the city, thereâs less space, more neighbors concerned about volume, and itâs hot.
Christmas is celebrated outside. The pastor, elders, youth, and the womenâs group of the church begin planning months in advance. Before Christmas Day, the church will construct a large bamboo or wooden frame to serve as a pavilion. Although thereâs rarely more than a dusting of snow, dried rice leaves are then used to line the floor, ceiling, and walls, which may also be reinforced with a tarp to prevent eager children from jumping through.
No table is long enough to seat every person, so the church prepares a long wooden buffet where everyone sits and shares their meal. Both are temporary structures which are burned for easy takedown after the event.
Christmas Day
One long road lined with houses stretches the village. On Christmas Day, the houses become shops. Each home offers something different, from traditional food like porridge to chips that are sour, spicy, or sweet. Sometimes owners already have permanent stores in front of their house. Those who want to sell but donât have a house by the road ask a relative to sell on their property.
âImagine Avenue of the Cities,â Niang says, âone road with shops that everyone walks on. Thereâs a lot of conversation about âwhat are you going to do, what are you going to sell.ââ
âAnd if youâre the relative, you might get to eat some of what is being sold,â she gladly adds.
At the event, everyone is treated to both lunch and dinner. Families most often bring their own rice to accompany their food and milk tea. Children often roll their rice into a ball to carry while they play hide and seek. People coming from the Chin State don’t grow rice, so they bring corn instead.
The most famous dish is made from sticky rice cooked in a bamboo stick and grilled on a barbecue.
âEveryone has a different name for it, but Zo Chin call it âBom Dan.â We have black and brown bamboo, some people will put filling, like red beans,â Niang says.
Between meals, thereâs dancing, singing, games, and worship. Lively conversation fills the air from all directions. Everyone is excited to come together, celebrate, and share blessings with one another â not as individuals, but as a community.
From Myanmar to the U.S.
Church members most often choose to divide event costs among themselves, even if they are overseas and not able to join the celebration. Depending on the churchâs needs, members may donate drinks, rice, or meat like pork, cow, and ox.
In 2019, Niangâs family took over the costs for their churchâs celebration in Myanmar despite living in the States.
U.S. culture is a whirlwind of future tense, and it comes as a shock to those experiencing their first Christmas after resettlement. With everyone thinking hours, days, even weeks ahead, lively celebration is replaced with small, formal service; Christmas is celebrated with immediate family rather than the community as one. Few have time to stay and chat, let alone celebrate through the night.
âWhen we celebrate, we celebrate as a community, with community.â Niang says. âHere, weâre thinking about work instead of celebrating. And another thing is gifts.â
Gift giving isnât nearly as central in Myanmar as it is in the States. Santa Clause doesnât visit Niangâs village. Instead, itâs customary to give gifts like money or clothing to church elders or others involved in the church. Parents will buy their children new clothes, typically the only clothes they receive for the year. Christmas attire is an early decision and a special outfit is reserved early in the year, often in red, white, or green.
âMy people are similar to Native Americans,â she says. Sometimes they dance around the fire to the beat of a hand drum or put on traditional clothes, although theyâre not as âshowyâ as they used to be. And although younger people will sometimes indulge in homemade rice wine before the event, they respect the churchâs boundaries.
âWe celebrate Christmas as Christians, but we always keep tradition,â she says.
Niangâs church hasnât celebrated Christmas for three years because of COVID. Sheâs not sure if they will celebrate this year, but sheâs hopeful. Meanwhile, she suggests that others in the U.S. slow down, stay present, and âenjoy lifeâ this Christmas season.
Merry Christmas, áá»á±áŹáșááœáŸááșáá±áŹááá áčá áááșááŒá áșáá«á á±
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Erica Parrigin manages grant writing and communications at World Relief Quad Cities. She graduated from Western Illinois University with a BA in English in 2020. She believes that stories are powerful, and that learning to empathize with other perspectives is the key to making a difference.