Christmas - near Eastern style

We wish you a Merry Christmas - and a Happy New Year.

Being a former British Colony - it seems as though many Yemeni locals are familiar with the Western winter holidays - but a little confused. Today, December 29th, our last day before the weekend, one student said to me, "have a happy christmas." Happy Christmas? Yes that's right. Understandably - many people here mesh the two holidays as one in the same- after all they are only a week apart...and basically you celebrate in the same way......or so it turns out. This is Christmas - Yemen style!

Let me walk you through our adventure which took place on the actual 25th of December.

First, work - from 12-8pm...we wish a few people merry christmas, and they respond with a scrunched face in confusion, 'isn't that next week?'...
Second - 10pm We invite some neighbors over for snacks and homemade christmas cookies (well acutally a far cry from real christmas cookies...but it makes the story a little better). Perplexed some say, 'wasn't that yesterday?' and others, 'Great, Happy New Year to you!'
Our friends bring food, candies, and a whole lot of fun. After eating, we sat around wondering what is the perfect Christmas activity...cards of course! (2am) We play some spoons, have a lot of laughs, and then...

Its time for the countdown. Hamoody - brings in a huge confetti bomb - so fittingly we start a countdown in chorus...10....3....2...1... Merry Chirstams - the bomb explodes and glitter fights proceed for the next 30 mins. Is it the new year?

Finally, (4am) we finish off the night with the best way to spread Christmas cheer, singing loud for all to hear...well not quite, but we do get knock at the door from security with a noise complaint (oops)...

So we turn on the most appropriate Christmas movie for the occassion. Elf.

We give thanks for our friends and community here as we organize the chaos of dishes, food, and furniture - and promptly sleep. For the next day at work was to come early.