By Linda Orajekwe

Christmas is a time we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, but this day is perceived and celebrated differently by different people. Speaking to celebrities from different fields, they tell us what Christmas means to them and where they would be this festive season.

 

Kate Henshaw: Nollywood actress

Christmas is the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ who died for us. To me it is a time to spend with family, relax, have fun, enjoy, reflect on the year so far, and try and spread joy to many people as possible. I’ll spend it with my family. Christmas is family time; you can travel with the family, be with the family in the house, and leave an open house for anyone that stops by.  So I will be with my family at home, maybe watching some nice movie on African magic Yoruba.(laughs).

However, my best Christmas holiday spot would be Cross Rivers State; it would be Calabar because of the carnival, because of what is going on there.  Everyday there is a parade, Christmas village, there is carol night, in fact Christmas is so much fun in Calabar.

Zainab Balogun

Christmas for me is all about family and celebrating the life of Christ. I believe it’s a reflective season for all. This is the perfect time to make changes in your life. I will be spending Christmas at church in the morning and then having a special Christmas dinner with family. I will be at my parents house with family.  After having dinner with my family, the best spot for me, would be winding the evening down with some friends at a popular Christmas day event called All Black Everything. 

 

Ndidi Obioha

To me Christmas is a season for spiritual reflection and thanksgiving. It’s also an amazing opportunity to spend quality time with my family, even though in my profession as an event consultant it’s usually a very busy season, but I try not to take on that much work so I can be with my family. I intend to take a short vacation trip, but I always look forward to The Family Christmas Carol and thanksgiving night we host in my house in praise and worship to our Lord for his mercies and blessings throughout the year, it’s an event we host annually, that is the high light of our Christmas usually. So I would spend this season in Lagos and Dubai, I always look forward to their shopping festival in Dubai.

Saidi Balogun: Nollywood actor, Yoruba.

Christmas means the birth of Jesus Christ and a time of reflection where you have to pray and look into the future of what 2017 will bring for you, you start planning all that during Christmas.

I will spend the day with my kids and friends.

Yomi Fash Lanso

Well, I don’t do Christmas; everyday to me is a festive period so it’s not new to me. I don’t set aside a particular day to celebrate, everyday is just a normal day. I go out almost every weekend and I enjoy myself almost every weekend, I take my children out almost every weekend, so what difference would one day make? So my day and every weekend are as joyous to me, but it all depends on what my children wants.

If I have to travel for Christmas, I think we have different interesting places here in Nigeria like Oke Erinmo, Idanre, Oke-Idanre, Ijesha waterfalls, Okeyim Olumo in Abeokuta, Oke-illalu, Osun Osogbo, and these places help me understand who I am and what my forefathers went through, so I like taking my children there, to see and learn these things. I believe it also helps the country’s economy because rather than go out of the country to enjoy their environment and boost the economy of their country, why not pump it back into the system and create better jobs for the country?