Christmas in Djibouti has a unique flavor as one can see a perfect blend of western traditions and local customs. If one looks at the history of Christmas in Djibouti one has to go back to the history of Djibouti itself. Primarily an African country Djibouti began celebrating Christmas only after the French government came to power. After the country was colonized by the French, missionaries came to the country with the purpose of spreading Christianity among the people. After the missionaries started educating the local people they also introduced many new customs.
As the majority of the population in Djibouti is Muslims, Islam is widely practiced. The missionaries have indirectly influenced the culture of the place and today Djibouti Christmas is considered as one of the important events in the country. According to Christmas traditions in Djibouti the local people decorate their homes with flowers and friends and family members join each other for a traditional Christmas dinner. People who belong to the Christian communities celebrate Christmas in Djibouti in their own manner.
One can see the influence of the local culture in Christmas in Djibouti. People go to the Church and join the other members of the community for Christmas Mass but they sing the carols, hymns and songs in local languages. They follow the traditions but they have added their own color in it. Most of the songs are sung in Somali, Arabic and Afar all of which are considered as important local dialects. Christmas is an important day for the people of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
It is on January 7th that people of the Church meet for the Mass. This event is an integral part of Christmas in Djibouti and the celebration takes place after two weeks after the Epiphany. Other than the Mass people welcome relatives who come from all over the world to spend the Christmas with their own family members. The Ethiopian Orthodox Church is one of the oldest churches in the region and they have contributed in the development of the local people.
If you are in Djibouti during Christmas you can be part of the festivities and you will enjoy the celebrations.
| 
