Christmas Day, all across Africa people have been celebrating! While some indulged in hearty celebrations full of song, dance and plenty of food, others prefer to reflect on the meaning of Christmas and its significance to Christianity.
In Nigeria – where more than half of its population is Christian – lively celebrations were apparent in the country’s capital as well as sombre thoughts on this festive day.
While many in Egypt joined in the celebrations, some expressed hope that the festive season would mark a turning point with regard to the many challenges the country has faced over the past year.
In Senegal, Christmas festivities have been going on at full throttle.
That is inspired of the fact that about 94 percent of Senegal’s 14 million people are Muslim.
The prominence of the Christian holiday highlights that Senegal is a bright spot of tolerance and diversity in West Africa where many countries are divided by religion and ethnicity and where the threat of Islamic extremism is growing.
