On December 25, 1879, five Catholics joined together to celebrate the first Christmas in Uganda. The celebration took place in a makeshift tent in Nabulagala, Kasubi, Kampala.  

Since then, Christmas has become one of the most important holidays in the East African country, where 80 percent of the population of 46 million is Christian (39.3% Catholic). And like our own tradition, Christmas is about coming together to eat good food and have a good time. Many travel far to celebrate with loved ones in their villages. According to Caritas In Uganda, Christmas is celebrated in different ways – depending on which part of the country you come from.  

The churches are filled to the brim

Everything stops for Sekukkulu, as Christmas is called in Luganda – the language spoken by most people in the country with more than 50 different languages. And at the center of the celebration is the birth of Jesus Christ. The festivities begin the night before – on December 24th. First in church, and then at home, where children help prepare the festive meal. People put on their best clothes, and the women often wear colorful traditional dresses and matching headgear. Churches are decorated with candles and are filled to the brim – even by those who don’t usually go to church. And traditional Christmas carols are sung.  

Have been saving for a long time to celebrate

Food plays an important role. But it is not a given for everyone. Over 20 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and 1 in 4 children is malnourished. Many have saved up for a long time to celebrate Christmas, and the festive meal on Christmas Eve may be the only occasion they eat meat during the entire year. A popular dish, made in the traditional Ugandan way, is well-seasoned meat of chicken, beef or goat that is wrapped in smoked banana leaves and steamed together with matooke – a green banana that is not as sweet as the yellow one. Side dishes can include rice, peanut sauce and sweet potato.  

Partying late into the night

What to drink at Christmas also has its traditions in different parts of the country. In the north, "kwete" is made from corn that has been left to ferment since August. While tonto, a drink based on ripe bananas, is common in the central part of the country. Community and joy play an important role, and after the meal, many continue the celebration with games, storytelling, singing and dancing until well into the night. Giving each other gifts is not common, but when it is done, it is usually edible things, such as meat, sugar or something the family has grown themselves.

Christmas trees, lights and choirs create a festive atmosphere in the capital Kampala and other cities. While people decorate their homes with trees they have found in the neighborhood and decorated with colored paper and flowers. Out in the streets of the capital Kampala, people can be heard wishing each other a Merry Christmas – or Sekukkulu Ennugi as most people pronounce it.