26 C
Khartoum
Friday, March 29, 2024
spot_img

Sudan Recognises Christmas As An Official Holiday

In the past, public celebrations had been stopped by ousted President Omar al-Bashir. Yet Sudanese Christians celebrate Christmas. Their celebrations might seem unfamiliar to many from west, however. They never adopted the western European customs.

KHARTOUM DECEMBER 24: Public celebrations had been stopped by ousted President Omar al-Bashir after the secession of Christian-majority South Sudan. Sudan’s transitional government said it wants to promote religious equality. Bashir was accused of building an Islamist-focused state around an Arab elite that dominated and sidelined other groups in the country and faced resistance throughout his rule from rebel groups that advocated for a secular state.

Sudan, a country in Africa, is an ethnically and religiously diverse society. About 70 percent of its citizens are Muslim and some claim Arab roots. They live mostly in the north. About 25 percent of Sudanese follow tribal religions and about five percent are Christians.

Sudanese Christians celebrate Christmas. Their celebrations might seem unfamiliar to many from west, however. They never adopted the western European custom of decorating a Christmas tree. The American Santa Claus and other Christmas gift bringers are unknown to them. One foreign aid worker described a moving Christmas Eve service attended by many refugees in which the sermon pointed out that Jesus came into the world as a refugee, his parents forced to leave their homes to fulfill the demands of a hostile government.

“O Holy Night” is a well-known Christmas carol. Originally based on a French-language poem by poet Placide Cappeau, written in 1843. The carol reflects on the birth of Jesus as humanity’s redemption. The version in the video above is in Arabic.

Merry Christmas!

The World Is Tough – But Remember That We Are Resilient

Salope von Asheen
Salope von Asheenhttp://departement1.com/
Born in South Africa, now living in Austria. 28 years old - worked many years in the fashion industry. Now working as a freelance writer and designer.

Related Articles

Latest Articles