Christmas Traditions in Kenya: Faith, Food and Family

Most families in Nairobi enjoy celebrating Christmas with their extended family miles away in the village.

Over the years in Kenya, the Christmas season has seen a mass exodus from cities to rural villages. During this time, the city is nearly deserted as people take a break from work to reunite with their extended families in their home villages.

Spending time with family in their home village is an important part of Christmas for kids in Kenya.

These annual village trips can be quite expensive. Bus fares are typically hiked up to meet the surge in travel demand, and the major highways often become congested with traffic. As a result, parents of many children in OneChild’s program save for an entire year to afford bus fare for the whole family.

Unfortunately, not everyone can afford the cost of traveling back to their village. For these families, staying in the city over Christmas is a necessity, as their priority is simply affording food for the holiday season.

To provide their children with memorable meals like “chapati,” a thin pancake of unleavened, whole-wheat bread cooked on a griddle, some parents must save for months to afford the essential ingredients — wheat flour, cooking oil and fuel (cooking gas or charcoal). This financial burden allows their children to enjoy special dishes during the festive season.

Many mothers participate in savings groups, pooling their money throughout the year to accumulate funds for an annual celebration.

Among Nairobi families celebrating Christmas are children in OneChild’s program. Hear from five of them as they share about their families’ Christmas traditions, favorite foods and the meaning behind it all.

Betty’s Bubbly Family Tradition

Betty can’t wait to spend time with her uncles, who always make her laugh.

During Christmas holidays, my family travels to the countryside for family gatherings, which are always fun and full of interaction.

Our comedic uncles and cousins entertain us, and we share meals as a family. We often spend time with our grandparents and listen to their stories.

My favorite part is the feast, which includes my favorite dishes of chapati and “pilau” — a spiced rice mixed with meat, chicken and pork. I enjoy these meals with my lively cousins, who keep things entertaining.

After dinner, we gather outside around a fire to share testimonies, some of which are playful and humorous, courtesy of our uncles. To keep everyone engaged, we then transition to games before giving gifts to our grandparents.

Pilau, a Kenyan favorite

My grandfather particularly enjoys these family meetings, where he imparts wisdom and shares stories of people who have achieved success through hard work and faith. He encourages us to pursue our dreams and not give up easily. After my grandfather’s inspirational talks, we all gather in his house to watch a Christmas movie before retiring for the night.

Overall, Christmas in my family is a cherished time of togetherness, sharing, and learning from the older family members.

Chapati, a traditional flatbread, is especially enjoyed at Christmas. 

Try some delicious Kenya recipes this Christmas. 

Cynthia’s Caroling Tradition

Cynthia looks forward to singing with her cousins in the village church.

Every Christmas, we make a trip to our grandparents’ home in the village to uphold the family tradition of visiting them for the holiday festivities.

Before we make the trip, my mom ensures that my siblings and I have new clothes and shoes and that our hair is braided.

When we arrive, my cousins and I take turns reciting songs we will perform for the family and in our local church in the village during the Christmas carol presentation.

For the meals, the children eat together in one tent, while the parents dine in separate tents.

Afterward, we gather in a large communal tent to watch the presentations. The younger children start by singing Christmas carols, followed by my cousin and I performing a traditional song. Our parents and grandparents then take the stage, dancing to our cultural music.

As midnight approaches, the entire family celebrates and has fun together. On this special day, we are allowed to stay up a little longer into the night telling stories and playing, and this makes me feel so good, unlike the other days when we have to go to bed early.

On Boxing Day, all the children are taken swimming, and this highlight is usually the end of the celebrations.

Dorothy’s Jolly Family Tradition 

Listen to Dorothy share what makes Christmas special for her.

When I think about Christmas, the first thing that comes to mind is the celebration of the birth of Jesus. However, I also associate the holiday with a season of sharing and togetherness.

During the Christmas season, my family and I make the three-hour journey from Nairobi to our rural home in Nyeri to celebrate the holiday with our extended family.

Upon arrival, we prepare a number of foods that I particularly enjoy, such as chapati, chicken, peas, rice and “mukimo” — a traditional dish of the Kikuyu community found in central Kenya, made by mashing potatoes and green vegetables.

My favorite part of the Christmas celebration is the talent showcase put on by my cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. Witnessing everyone’s unique abilities is truly the highlight for me.

I also cherish the quality time spent bonding with my extended family — it makes me feel happy during this time of the year. Inviting my friends to join in the festivities and introducing them to my family is an integral part of my Christmas tradition. In fact, my friends often share in my excitement as we eagerly anticipate our annual presentations.

After the festive celebrations in the village, our grandparents gather the family into age-based groups to share captivating stories that impart valuable lessons. We then hold a large family meeting to reflect on the past year, share hopes for the year ahead and discuss plans for the next Christmas celebration.

Finally, we come together for a cherished family photo, capturing the strong bond we share as a united family.

Learn about more Christmas traditions from around the world.

Gideon is practicing his swimming with the hope of one day going to see the ocean.

Gideon’s Christmas Wish

I am grateful to God for this Christmas season, as it is a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. To me, this holiday is all about showing love and sharing with others.

My Christmas wish is to one day travel to the coast of Mombasa and see the beautiful Indian Ocean.

I would love to walk along the beach and go swimming. My swimming skills have improved significantly thanks to a recent kids’ fun day organized by my Child Champions, where I was able to swim with the other children and realize how well I can now swim.

While I wait for my Mombasa dream to come true, my family and I will enjoy the Christmas season at home.

My mom has already started purchasing special food items like wheat flour, rice and cooking oil for our Christmas feast. Instead of our normal meals, we will indulge in a delicious spread of chicken, rice, fish, chapati and soda.

Feddy’s Reflection on the Meaning of Christmas

I’m delighted that Christmas is approaching — a time when my extended family gathers to enjoy each other’s company. In the past, we’ve celebrated by cooking and sharing our

Feddy writes about his favorite Christmas traditions.

cherished traditional foods, like chapati, chicken stew and pilau, and visiting our grandparents in the village.

I usually relish the journey to the village at Christmas. The bus ride is always exciting, as my siblings and I compete to count the trees and cars along the way, pretending they’re all ours.

However, this year Christmas will be different. We won’t be traveling to the village, as my parents can’t afford it. But my mom has saved some money and plans to take us to the Nairobi Animal Orphanage Museum and, later, for a swim — I’m thrilled and can’t stop dreaming about the orphanage visit.

To me, the true meaning of Christmas is celebrating Christ’s birth and reflecting on God’s greatest gift — His only Son.

I intend to honor this season by donating and giving to others and keeping the Christmas spirit alive through acts of kindness.

I have much to look forward to this holiday, but my greatest fulfillment is knowing the importance of Christmas and finding ways to keep the Christmas spirit alive by sharing it with others.

Rebecca’s Song of Joy

Listen as Rebecca reminds us what we’re celebrating.