By Jacob, Missionary to the Himalayas

In the Southeast Asian country we serve in, Christmas is generally not preceded by a whole month of festive decorations, parties and gatherings. Instead, the people that decorate might put up a few decorations only the week before Christmas Day at the earliest. Exchanging gifts on Christmas is also still a very new concept, and the people that do adopt this Western tradition may just gift one or two small presents. 

Once Christmas Day arrives, ladies will generally dress up in this culture’s traditional dress, known as a ‘sari’ or at least wear a fancy dress. Likewise, the men will also dress up by wearing a nice suit. 

Unlike in America and Canada, which have a very family focused orientation during Christian holidays, Christmas Day is almost a full day event at your local church. It includes a regular service with Christmas songs and a message, followed by a children’s program, a talent show by any congregation members that would like to sing or dance and concludes with a luncheon and conversation.

The lunch provided is usually a specially seasoned rice with nuts, raisins, and peas mixed in it. The rice is served alongside various side dishes such as curried fish, curried chicken, a lentil soup, spiced vegetables, and sweet yogurt with fruit. 

During this season, our family has generally hosted a Christmas party for both foreigners and locals, including some of our Hindu friends. This has been a great chance for them to enjoy the company of believers and hear the good news again in a fun, low-pressure environment. We have also invited Hindus to the church celebration on Christmas Day as a ministry outreach. Each year we have also baked gingerbread cookies and gifted them to our neighbors, attaching a Bible verse about the birth of the Savior to each bag. 

Although most people do not celebrate the Christmas holiday, there has definitely been an increase in Christmas decorations and other various holiday merchandise, as shop owners have taken advantage of the increased demand by foreigners and the growing population of Christians. However, this does not mean they understand what Christmas is about, who Jesus is, or why we celebrate. 

One hilarious Christmas-themed story was relayed to me by one Canadian friend: 

While in the market one day shopping for a tree skirt to accessorize her tree, my slightly plump friend entered the shop and started looking at the various tree skirts available. Noticing they were a bit too big for the small tree she had at home, my friend asked the owner, “Do you have any smaller than this?” 

While slipping the tree skirt over her shoulders, the owner said, “It’s no problem, this will fit you better.” She then strutted a pose as if modeling a poncho. 

My friend started to laugh and said, “What do you think this is?”

“A shawl,” the lady replied. 

Needless to say they had a good laugh and my friend did not find the right skirt for her tree, but she was able to share about the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord! Praise God for all the opportunities he gives us to share his love with others, even the most ridiculous or unexpected.