Blog: Love feasts and other Christmas traditions
Dr Mhoira Leng
22nd December 2012
Christmas is a time to reflect, celebrate, enjoy friends and family and sense again the wonder of God coming down to earth as a tiny, vulnerable baby. We know the stories and the carols and we all have our own traditions. I have been privileged to spend Christmas in many different parts of the world. In India we ate fragrant chicken biryani and the CMC Vellore students came round late at night to sing carols; in Kerala the Santas wore plastic faces and surgeons gloves which was a little disconcerting. In Tunisia we had plenty choices of turkey along with spicy harissa and then sang carols on the beach. In Scotland I have been known to go paddling in the snow - in a kayak! Here in Africa I have spent Christmas in the middle of the amazing animals, birds and scenery of the national parks of Uganda and last year saw a leopard hanging out in a tree! I also am able to join a Lugogo baptist church tradition of a Love Feast. We are invited to bring food from our national or local setting and to bless one another, care for one another, sing and dance (and Acholi dancing is AMAZING) and share the love of God within the church and with those who are vulnerable, lonely and in need. I was busy baking cakes and very happy to have some special Acholi food ; malakwang, boo and lapena! What a wonderful concept! Instead of focusing on what we get and the increasing materialism of our world we focus on what we can give, with whom we can share blessings, who needs a hug, who can we thank for all they are and all they give.
There is beautiful poem by Christina Rossetti in 1893 called Christmastide that has been sung as a carol at Christmas since then. It is titled
Love came down at Christmas....the last stanza reads .....
Love shall be our token
Love shall be yours and love be mine
Love to God and all men
Love for plea and gift and sign
From all at Cairdeas and the MPCU and from myself have a wonderful Christmas as we look forward to another amazing year with many more feasts of love!
If you want to support in any way please get in touch or go to our Christmas appeal to support training. https://www.justgiving.com/operations-cairdeas
From all at Cairdeas and the MPCU and from myself have a wonderful Christmas as we look forward to another amazing year with many more feasts of love!
If you want to support in any way please get in touch or go to our Christmas appeal to support training. https://www.justgiving.com/operations-cairdeas