Four Videos of Christmas In Nigeria, West Africa

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases four videos of Christmas in Nigeria, West Africa.

This is Part II of an ongoing pancocojams series on "Christmas in Africa". Click that tag for more posts in this series.

The content of this post is presented for cultural and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in these videos and thanks to Battabox, the producers and publishers of these videos on YouTube.

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Video #1: How would you Celebrate Christmas in Nigeria?



BattaBox, Published on Dec 24, 2015

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year, and Lagos is always colorful and beautiful during the season, but not everyone who lives in Lagos spends their Christmas holidays in Lagos, especially the easterners of Nigeria.

[...]

BattaBox presenter Adeola hits the streets of Lagos to asks Nigerians - How would you be celebrating Christmas day?

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How would you be spending your Christmas day?

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

[...]

BattaBox is the most exciting Nigerian News & Entertainment Video channel based in Lagos. We are the fact behind Nigerian Movies fiction, Nollywood in real-life with a dash of Yoruba Movie Magic - but none of our videos are made-up like Nollywood - they are all true stories!

BattaBox is Nigeria Like You've Never Seen Before!...
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The statement about BattaBox is given in each of these videos.

Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread, with numbers added for referencing purposes only:
1. Ray Allen, 2016
"Well, in my part of Nigeria, we wake-up in the morning, go to church for some prayers and back home we kill a goat and a turkey, we prepare rice and pounded yam and Isi Ewu and we all share and eat together with my extended family. Quite fun..."

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REPLY
2. Naijach, 2016
"wow rice, pounded yam and isi ewu
You guys know how to enjoy Christmas oh.
And I didn't know that Ray Allen was Nigerian lol.
Anyways merry Christmas and a prosperous new year.
GOD bless."

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3. berni armstrong, 2016
"Great to see images of the city of my childhood and its beautiful people.
We used to spend our Lagos Christmases on Tarkwa beach! Or surfing at Lighthouse beach."

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4. Naijach, 2016
"First of all we go to Church to celebrate the one whom it's all about then we go back home to eat rice and chicken and salad and drink a lot of soft drinks, watch tv and as usual prepare for visitors and sometimes we are the visitors.
Merry Christmas to you all."

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5. clement evelyn, 2016
"The part of the world were I am, today isn't Christmas. I had an exam today. I miss Christmas in Nigeria with family."

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REPLY
6. BattaBox, 2016
"+clement evelyn cook chicken and rice and play Christmas music jare."
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“Jare”- Yoruba word meaning “please” https://www.nairaland.com/515995/which-language-these-famous-naijaRe: And To Which Language Do These Famous Naija Expressions Belong?

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Video #2: FUNNY: What Nigerians expect from Father Christmas

BattaBox, Published on Dec 24, 2015
Christmas in Nigeria is also known as the season to eat, drink and most especially receive gifts from Santa or 'Father Christmas' as Nigerians call him. Although some people had no idea Santa was the same person as Father Christmas.

"I don't know him (santa)," replies one lady

BattaBox asks Nigerians on the streets of Lagos - What gift would you expect from Santa this Christmas?

"If i see a Hummer Jeep, fine," says one lady as she smiles.

"A big Christmas tree, with lots of chocolates,"

Most Nigerians seem to expect the biggest gifts from Santa like cars, money and other material things...While others believe Santa could double as Nigeria's petroleum minister....

"He should bring constant electricity, that would be ok for me," says one guy.

What do you want from Santa this Christmas?

Watch and enjoy!
-snip-
Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread, with numbers added for referencing purposes only:
1. fernandelle2, 2016
"i want Battabox to stop pushing their Eurocentric agenda on authentic Africans. It seems that every question asked on each video is meant to mock Nigerians for not embracing stupid Westernized ideas."

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REPLY
2.Tamuno-Opubo Cookey-Gam, 2016
"+fernandelle2 you can show your displeasure by disliking the video."

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REPLY
3. fernandelle2, 2016
"It is more than a displeasure. It is a political statement. It used to be City folks mocking villagers, christians mocking animists, traveled Africans mocking those who stayed, now liberal westernized Africans mocking traditional or more conservative natives. It all boils down to the same thing: Only white ideas are valued as good for the people. Because I live in the US, I know how these ideas (gender bender, feminism, end of patriarchy) have damaged the Black american family structure, i just am worrying about what will happen in Africa twenty years from this new vrtual influence."

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4. Alice Jones, 2016
"i just want constant electricity" wow, a smart AND sexy guy."

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REPLY
5. Ultra Violet, 2016
"+Adeola & Jane you took the words right outtah my mouth,fine boy and he has brains."

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REPLY
6. Lola Williams, 2016
"+Adeola & Jane yasss hes hot"

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7. 99destroyer11, 2016
"i want world peace, no kids dying from starvation and thirst in africa and other undeveloped nations"

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REPLY
8. Mattie, 2016
"+99destroyer11 Amen ! I wish the same.."

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9. Lola Williams, 2016
"funny how some answered without knowing who santa was"

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REPLY
10. Mattie, 2016
"Why Santa..This white bearded man only show face for Christmas only hahah. Why not ask your heavenly BABA GOD for all your wishes. The lady in the green is correct!!. Aha Aha Batta box.. Anyway. Merry Christmas to all !!"

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11. The Truth, 2016
"Santa Claus! Really Battabox ? LOL!"

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12. MsDark&Lovely, 2016
"why should Nigerians believe in a fat white made-up man who suppose to bring gifts on Xmas??? ludicrous at its best."

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Video #3: What Nigerians Abroad Miss About Christmas In Nigeria!



BattaBox, Published on Dec 23, 2016

It's Christmas and BattaBox asks Nigerians in Canada - what do they miss about spending the celebrations away from Nigeria.

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At a party for Nigerians in the diaspora, Precious also asks people to make one wish to Santa Claus and gets people to sing - or make a joyful noise - for christmas.

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What do you miss about Christmas at home in Nigeria? The food, the jollof, family...? Gist us in the comments!
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Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread, with numbers added for referencing purposes only:
1. ActiveDodger, 2017
"I miss the trip to the village. The road trip was awesome. I remember my mum cooking before we traveled. We would stop in Ore and eat.. Remember the Onitcha bread? the masquerades in the village. Ahh, I miss it so much!!"

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2. Paul Adetunji, 2017
"i miss the ogufe we kill every xmas the banger the knockout the food neighbors bring over. midnight mass at holy family catholic church in festac. Music friends staying up until 3am walking around festac (back in the day of course)."

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3. Bee-Bee Ibk, 2017
"BattaBox Gosh I miss EVERYTHING!!! Christmas in America is a very boring something!!! It's time like this I wish I was back home😢"

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4. Daknocka88, 2017
"FOOD AND FAMILY"

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5. Kingdom Perspectives, 2017
"I will say the weddings.... December seems to be the season when ppl go home to get married and share their big day with familiy and friends in sunshine :o) Beautiful!"

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6. paul johnson, 2017
"the spirit of christmas is the same all over the world only the swagger adds distinctive glamour"

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7. Maureen Kibe, 2017
"i always get homesick around the holiday time"

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Video #4: What Are Nigerians Doing For Christmas?



BattaBox, Published on Dec 23, 2017

What Are Nigerians Doing For Christmas?
-snip-
English captions on the screen "transcribe" the English that people speak in this video.
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Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread, with numbers added for referencing purposes only:
1. Faro Olaide Amanat, 2018
"lol she said Mary never born 😂"

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REPLY
2. Jacquie, 2018
""e never even get the bele" xD"

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REPLY
3. Justina Obafemi, 2018
"I dey tink am too Mary Neva born.
Thank u lord for keeping us alive am so blessed to be alive.
This year have been so good to me and My family.
Merry Christmas to everyone and a beautiful new year ahead.
Muahhhhhhhhhhhhh"

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4. Missy Abz. 2018
"My plan for this x-masses is too much, i plan to kill cow."

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5. 444suse, 2018
"Nobody is building a snowman?"

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6. soulsearch1234, 2018
"Why are nigerians celebrating christmas? Do you have a white Santa too? Do you play christmas songs made by non-nigerians?"

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REPLY
7. Lisatbh, 2018
"Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus? it's a Christian holiday. christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. christmas is also a holiday that non-Christians celebrate. secular countries, instead of making it focus on Jesus, they focus it on Santa. So what are you talking about"

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REPLY
8. soulsearch1234, 2018
"Lisatbh Christmas is NOT the celebration of Jesus. Its a pagan roman creation (from winter solstice) passed on to nigerians. You dont have to know the history of its creation to know Christmas is a creation of white supremacy. The white face santa alone should tell you. Christmas carols were all white created until they passed it to blacks who began to create Christmas carols. Its a pagan celebration, has nothing to do with Christ (Jeremiah 10) and read its history."

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REPLY
9. Alan Scott, 2018
"It's a Holiday, many atheist countries like Japan celebrate it because it's fun and festive."

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REPLY
10. soulsearch1234, 2018
"Alan Scott "Fun and festive " can be anything. Why follow the tradition of white supremacy? Its promotion of the white-faced santa. The original santa is white and therefore reveals its origin. Black countries need to let go of all elements of white supremacy (white-washed cultural practices that eliminate other people in its presentation)."

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REPLY
11. Joey Quiroga, 2018
"soulsearch1234 how is santa white supremacy"

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REPLY
12. soulsearch1234, 2018
"Joey Quiroga Because Santa is the source that delivers gifts to everyone and he is white, its a creation a white supremacy....its no-brainer"

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REPLY
13. Joey Quiroga, 2018
"soulsearch1234 ok ok soo white people create a fictional white man and it gets spread no forced on to some one and that white supremacy? You have to be the most ignorant person in this comment section"

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REPLY
14. Joey Quiroga, 2018
"soulsearch1234 alot of people disagree with you which is a good thing, good luck with life with your mentality"

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REPLY
15. soulsearch1234, 2018
"Joey Quiroga A lot of people agree with me, and so does every primary source we have access to,which is a good thing"

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