I grew up in Panaehperkho, a village in the mountainous regions of Karen State, Burma. Our village was one of several in the area.
Christmas was a joyous time of year for me. It brings back very special memories. I remember that it wasn't too cold at that time of year, but there would be frost on the ground.
Even before Christmas, we had a special celebration for “Sweet December.” On December 1, we would have a night watch – which means we wouldn't sleep – and at midnight we would all yell “Sweet December!”
I was part of a children's choir, and from then until Christmas we would go on carolling trips from village to village. We went to non-Christian villages as well as Christian ones, and sometimes we would stay there overnight. Often the villages would give us things like pumpkins or cucumbers, or some money. And sometimes, when we caroled for Christian families, they would invite us into their homes and give us soup or sticky rice with coconut. I really liked singing at those houses!
On Christmas day we would have a sort of festival. Everyone from the surrounding villages would get together, and they would all bring food and donations. We'd cook all the food together. We usually had sticky rice, chicken and rice soup, and sometimes wild pig with curry or another wild animal.
We'd also play games and sports, and the winners would get a bar of soap as a prize. I think that was my favorite part. We'd play soccer and volleyball, and we'd have foot races and all kinds of different activities. As a boy of seven or eight, I can remember being really happy as I came home with 20 or 30 bars of soap. Some of them were unique, like a game we called “slippery post.” We'd put money on the end of a big bamboo pole, and whoever could get the money off the top was the winner. That was a really hard game to win.
We'd have a worship service together with all of the villages, and at night there would be concert with songs, stories, and drama including a nativity play.
We also exchanged gifts. We didn't really have candy, but we made a sort of cookie by pounding sticky rice together and topping it with sesame seeds.
During my first Christmas in Canada, we Karens held a big dinner together, but after a couple of years we stopped doing it. Everyone got too busy. But that first Christmas was kind of amazing for me. We'd never seen Christmas lights in the jungle, and when I saw them around the city I thought it was incredible to see so many different kinds. I was also amazed by how many people came to church compared to a usual Sunday. – with notes from Connie Purvis
