One Christmas, different swags
Christmas is a universal Christian celebration. Sometimes it even becomes an inter-faith event, as Muslims and adherents of other faiths also join in the celebrations, not necessarily in the Christian worship that is a prominent feature of the celebration but in the other festivities that mark the occasion.
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These include parties, family and social gatherings, the sharing and exchange of gifts and donations to the less-privileged and orphanages.
The universal celebration of Christmas was showcased in the towns of Aflao in Ghana and Lome in Togo last December 25.
Although the two towns are located in different countries, the celebration of the Yuletide seemed to have opened the border posts, as people from both towns moved freely from Aflao to Lome and vice versa to attend church services, visit friends and share in meals and other activities.
Ghana-Togo border
While travelling along the border area on Christmas Day, it was evident that the two towns were on different levels or had different swags, as the economies of the two communities determined the way the day was observed.
Many vehicles could be spotted on the main road to the Ghana-Togo border, leading to heavy traffic.
Those who stayed close to the border were seen moving in and out of the two countries to trade, while Immigration officers were on a high alert for any mischievous activity.
The Sector Commander of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Mr Julius Gborglah, told the Daily Graphic that activities along the border on Christmas Day were unusual.
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“We have more people coming in and going out of the two countries and this is mostly because some of them have relations on both sides of the border,” he explained.
Togo border
At the Togo side of the border, the beach had been taken over by revellers. Some adults among them danced their hearts out to music from loud speakers mounted at the beach.
Children also engaged in fun activities such as horse riding, football and other beach games.
Some artists had used shells to create scenes of the birth of Christ.
Drinking spots along the beach were packed. Bottles of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as roast meat decorated the tables of patrons.
By sunset, a long stretch of vehicles and motorbikes had parked along the main road to Lome, the capital of Togo. They had transported revellers to the beach to join in the fun.
The Togo Ashigame Market, located a few metres away from the border and usually patronised by citizens of both countries, was busy as usual,although some shops were closed.
It was, indeed, a busy market day on a holiday, particularly on Christmas Day.
A trader at the market, Ms Beatrice Adom, who had been doing business there for close to 10 years, said holidays such as Christmas were not observed in the market.
“We have Muslims here, as well as traditionalists, so some of the shops close, while others open on such occasions,” she said.
On patronage, she said more people trooped in during the holidays, expecially on Christmas Day, to buy gifts for their loved ones and friends.
She attributed the high patronage to the fact that Togo was a free port and as such items sold at the market were comparatively cheaper and people could afford them.
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For Adelaide Guillaime, a Togolese living close to the border, the day provided an opportunity for her and others to interact more with their Ghanaian counterparts.
She said a festive occasion such as Christmas presented an opportunity for people in Togo to visit relations and friends in Ghana, and vice versa.
For her, on such occasions she forgot about her nationality, as she enjoyed the fraternity between the peoples of the two countries.
Low activities
However, in sharp contrast to the holiday festivities that were taking place along the beach in Togo, the Ghana side was quiet.
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Besides a few drinking spots at Denu where sound systems were playing all forms of music, including French songs, there wasn’t much entertainment.
The Aflao Beach was rather calm and fishermen were seen busily mending their fishing nets for their next fishing expedition.
A few of them had their radio sets beside them and they were obviously listening to news on the holiday activities.
Explaining why that part of the Gulf of Guinea was calm, Mr Dickson Fiadze, a fisherman, said celebrating the birth of Christ was not a big deal for the fisher folk.
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He said Christmas Day was like any other day, particularly as this year’s celebration fell on a fishing day — Thursday.
“We rather celebrate the New Year to thank God and ask for new opportunities and a new life. On that day we join others who visit the beach to have fun,” he said.
Let the gods speak
At Klikor, a town in the Ketu South municipality in the Volta Region, notwithstanding the fact that it was Christmas Day, tradition was at its best.
Scores of people visited the Mama Vena shrine at dawn and in the early morning to seek divine intervention for their problems.
While about a 100 people were seen in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in a service to mark the birth of Christ, on the other side of town three people from Mafi Tsawula, a town in the Central Tongu District, had come to seek spiritual help from the high priest of the shrine, Torgbe Adzima.
They were led by a native of Klikor and their mission was simple — to find a motorcycle that was stolen on October 22, 2014.
The complaint
The owner of the motorbike, David Ahorga, with a cloth wrapped around his waist with his chest bare and seated on the neatly kept cold floor of the shrine, narrated how his bike was stolen while he was sleeping at night.
He said the thief had used a hacksaw blade to cut the lock on the bike and bolted with it.
He subsequently announced the loss in his community, with the hope that the thief would return it, but to no avail.
“So I am here today with my nephew and my brother to seek your help in finding my motorbike because that is what I use to feed my family,” he said in a rather sad voice.
Listening attentively, Torgbe Adzima, with a cloth wrapped around his waist, adorned with a necklace and a cap made from raffia and decorated with cowries on his wrist, gave his verdict.
Ahorga should return to his town and announce the visit to the shrine, giving a grace period of two weeks for the culprit to own up and return the bike.
He said should that persuasion fail, they should return to the shrine after two weeks for a gong-gong beater to accompany them and announce to the town, on behalf of the high priest, the theft of the motorbike.
“However, if the offender fails to own up, the necessary rituals will then be performed to invoke the spirit of the gods,” he said.
Happy with the advice of the high priest, Ahorga left with his delegation to follow up on the pronouncement of the high priest, with the hope that the lost motorbike would be found.
Church activities
A few metres away from the shrine were some churches where little activity or none was going on. The Evangelical Presbyterian Church which was one of them had many empty seats.
Nonetheless, the Pastor of the church, Mr Allan Bossman Semenyo, could not help but preach at the top of his voice to the faithful.
He advised them to observe Christmas as a day of visitation, reconciliation and socialisation among themselves.
He told the Daily Graphic later that after the service, the church would go on a visitation in the town to share the message of God.
Away from the church activities, market women at Agbozome were busily selling their wares.
People from the neighbouring towns and villages had visited the small market and were buying goats, sheep, ducks, cats, turkey and others.