How does South Africans celebrate Christmas?

Geseende Kersfees (“Merry Christmas” in my home language, Afrikaans) from all of us here in South Africa!

Our nation is called the Rainbow Nation because we have a diversity of races, languages (eleven to be exact) and traditions. To define South African Christmas traditions are hard, because of our diversity as a nation, every race has it’s own ways in which they celebrate Christmas.

We inherited most of our traditions from other countries, including the USA and UK. The big difference is that we are in summer when it is Christmas.  The schools are on their summer break, and most companies also close for Christmas and New Year. People go on holiday, to the ocean or camping inland.

From the beginning of December, “Carols by candlelight” nights are held by various institutions and churches. Some gatherings are charity orientated: where you have to bring food or toys as an “entrance fee.”

Most people have a Christmas tree, a green fake one, and decorate it with baubles, tinsel and handmade decorations. Only some houses are made up with lights. We love to drive around on Christmas Eve to look at all the lights.

Some people will leave stockings for Father Christmas (“Kersvader” is what we call Santa). Some will open presents on Christmas Eve at 12 midnight, others will do it first thing Christmas morning.

The shops and malls are decorated festively and carols are played as early as October. You can take a photo with Father Christmas too!

A lot of South Africans are Christian and will go to church on Christmas morning. We are looking forward to celebrate Christmas as it is a significant holiday for us. We have Nativity shows, where the kids participate too! 

After church, families and friends will gather for a feast of roast meat, vegetables, rice and roast potatoes. Or they will have a “Bring-and-Braai”, where each family bring their own meat to barbeque (we call it braai) and a salad or side dish as “potluck” to share with the group. A popular dessert, not just at Christmas, is Malva Pudding, which is served with custard or ice cream.

Ingredients:

130 ml margarine/butter
500 ml sugar
30 ml apricot jam
2 eggs
500 ml self raising flour
10 ml bicarbonate of soda
500 ml milk
30 ml vinegar
Pinch of salt

Method:

Cream the margerine and sugar. Add jam. Whisk eggs, add to mixture. Add dry ingredients,except dissolve the bicarb of soda in the milk first,then add. Add vinegar and mix well.

Bake for 40 minutes, 180’C.

Sauce:

500ml evaporated milk
200ml sugar
250ml water

Heat slightly to dissolve sugar. Pour over pudding after baking. Serve with custard or ice cream.

I hope you enjoy this delicious South African dessert! I asked Nadia from Teach Me Mommy to share Christmas traditions from her native South Africa. She even added a South African dessert recipe for us! Nadia is the mom of 2 adorable young children and is from Alberton, South Africa. You can find out more at Nadia’s Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram accounts. We wish you all a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

South Africans celebrate Christmas a bit differently in South Africa from other parts of the world, but the celebrations and festive spirit is similar. In short, Christmas in South Africa is all about the outdoors, food, friends and family.

What to do on Christmas day:

Christmas in South Africa is celebrated right in the middle of summer, so there is no such thing as a white Christmas. Christmas celebrations in South Africa start off with presents on Christmas morning, which is on the 25th December, followed by a traditional Christmas dinner or braai in the afternoon. South Africans usually have dinner on Christmas Day (25th December) rather than on Christmas Eve (24th December).

Because of the beautiful sunny weather in South Africa, Christmas meals are eaten outside, in people’s gardens next to the pool, or on patios. The casual setting allows for invitations to be extended to friends of friends, and even to complete strangers.

What to eat on Christmas:

As in most other countries, South Africans celebrate Christmas with a cooked dinner shared among family and friends. This is usually a roast, which includes a variety of meats including gammon, chicken, turkey, beef and/or fish. The meal is accompanied by all different salads and roast vegetables. Some families prefer a cold meal, which would include salads, cold meats and fruit. There is no real tradition when it comes to the choice of food for Christmas dinner; there is just usually a lot of it with a large variety to choose from. This is also because South Africans always cater for unexpected guests. If you decide to eat out on Christmas day, be sure to book well in advance. Restaurants often have a set menu or buffet on Christmas Eve, and prices are generally a bit higher than usual.

Christmas decorations in South Africa:

South Africans decorate their homes with a Christmas tree, which is usually a replica of a real tree and store-bought. Some households go to the extreme with lights and decorating. Many main streets in the Cape Town city centre, especially Adderly Street, are lit up at night with stunning Christmas lights and decorations, including Christmas dolphins pulling Santas on sleighs.

The shopping centres in South Africa go all out with Christmas decorations, festive songs, and displays where children can meet Santa, bring their wish list, and sit on Santa’s lap.

Carols by candlelight:

Christmas Eve celebrations involve coming together to listen to orchestras or choirs, and singing along to well-known festive songs in a beautiful setting. To get into the Christmas spirit and truly experience the bliss of Christmas in summer, it is recommended that you join one of the many Carols by Candlelight gatherings. Picture a big lawn, picnic blankets, a sea of candles and a tipsy crowd singing along to “Silent Night”. Carols by Candlelight events are held at Kirstenbosch Gardens, the V&A Waterfront Amphitheatre, and several vineyards.

Christmas charity and volunteer work:

During Christmas-time there are many charity events, and there are also opportunities to get involved. A common and favourite charity is the Santa shoebox charity. Santa shoebox collects gifts from individuals and companies, and delivers Christmas gifts to needy children throughout South Africa.

Shops closing over Christmas:

Over Christmas-time most company offices close from about the 19th of December until the 7th of January. Those businesses that stay open find it difficult to get anything done. The 25th and the 26th of December are both public holidays. Most shops are closed over these two days, but it is still possible to do some grocery shopping at large outlets like Woolworths and Pick n Pay. The shops experience the usual mad rush on the days leading up to Christmas, so make sure you stock up on all your food and drinks a couple days before Christmas to avoid disappointment.

Most Cape Town attractions are open on Christmas Day, and the city and beaches are usually a mad buzz over these two days. In fact, Cape Town becomes so busy during the festive season that those Capetonians who own holiday houses leave the city.

Christmas is a wonderfully cheerful and vibrant time to visit South Africa, as most people are on holiday, the weather is beautiful, and there are loads of activities to keep you busy.

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