Christmas in Zimbabwe

Music ripples out of cars and scratchy stereo speakers, at every corner, and out of every home in the neighbourhood. It’s the last month of the year and school is out for the little ones. There’s chatter, laughter, bargaining, picture-taking - a general spring in everyone’s step. These are just some of the ways you can tell that uKisimusi, or Christmas in Zimbabwe, has arrived.

Christmas in Zimbabwe is about family coming together, while the trending Zim Dance Hall songs of the day blare loudly and proudly in the background. But this is only the beginning. Christmas in Zimbabwe is packed with festive activity. So if you want to know more about it, read our guide to find out.

When is Christmas in Zimbabwe?

Although Christmas Day is on December 25, celebrations and wishes begin earlier. Traditionally, the month of December marks the festive season and Christmas time in Zimbabwe.

Christmas in Zimbabwe arrives at the peak of summer, with lots of sunshine, scorching hot days, and balmy warm evenings. Although the days are hot and dry, the rain falls fairly often, and Zimbabwe sees a number of Christmas showers and thunderstorms.

Christmas Day is an official public (bank) holiday. It comes after Zimbabwe's National Unity Day on December 22, which affirms the much-valued practice of gathering and sharing that can be felt throughout the festive season.  

Traditional Christmas celebrations in Zimbabwe

Africans share in the global Christmas traditions of families and communities coming together. In Zimbabwe, it’s no different - except for maybe every house and pub playing Tuku music - very loudly! Tuku music is the much-loved Mbira sound of late national treasure, Oliver Mutukudzi.

It’s very common during the Christmas time to hear songs rooted in Zimbabwean history and spiritual rituals. This music not only brings loved ones together through memories, but it’s also used to contact and invite the elders, and deceased ancestors, to bless the union of families, friends, lovers, cousins, and communities

Almost every family is separated during the year. Parents and grandparents remain in the homesteads in remote villages like Mvurwi and Ruwedzwa. The younger generation often flee these smaller towns for bigger ones and cities. Christmas in Zimbabwe is a special time that brings everyone together. Here are some ways that Zimbabweans celebrate Christmas time.

Christmas Eve

As the day inches closer, the day before Christmas is filled with excitement and anticipation. Indeed, the young ones catch ants in their pants, as they look forward to dressing up and chomping on their favourite sweets, treats, and prezzies.

This is also the day when the last of the family members travelling from out of town and abroad trickle in to round off the bunch. You only have a few hours to catch up with your favourite cousins, plant soft kisses on the babies and children of the family, and get your hands dirty helping in the house.

Church

For many people in Zim, clocking in for morning church services gets Christmas Day started. This is a church service to look forward to, because it is often the one and only time in the year that one's entire family is finally gathered under one roof to fellowship.

Christmas Day church service is always a vibrant, good old time inspired by sharing, singing, laughter, and testimonials.

Sunday best, Christmas best

If you love to dress up - which many Zimbabawean’s do - then Christmas Eve is also when you lay out and iron that special outfit, to dazzle with the next day. Everyone wears their best clothes as, for some families, the only new clothes they get every year are for Christmas.

On Christmas morning, the fashion show begins. Children in their Sunday best, ladies in their bold robes, flowing frocks, and flamboyant garments, and men in their smart casual suits and three pieces. There is always a touch of African print for that extra Zimbabwean swag. After church, when people socialise, everyone gets to show off their clothes.

Christmas carols

You guessed it, more music! We’re sure you get the idea by now. If Zimbabweans aren’t tuned-in to their speakers, they are singing. During Christmas, carolling comes part and parcel. Carols are usually religious hymns sung at the Christmas church service or on the days leading up to it.

Other times, in the city parks, there are Carols by Candlelight, where people sing carols usually featuring live performances by local musos and a band. Let’s get into the spirit, shall we!

Arts and crafts as gifts

Zimbos are often skilled sculptors, as arts and crafts have long been a central and sophisticated part of the country’s cultural heritage. This is also why the sector of Arts and Crafts is one of the strongest economic drivers in Zimbabwe, as it provides employment opportunities for many people, especially those in rural areas.

Gifts in the form of crafted artistic pieces thus come second nature. You can delight in wire and beaded animals, pottery and ceramics, leather garments or famous Zimbabwean stone sculptures and ornaments. These quality African art pieces are sure to be some of your most prized possessions.

Kids playing games

While the grown ups cook and prepare for Christmas, the little ones, if they’re not helping out, play all sorts of games outside. Although many today keep themselves busy on their phones with social media and selfies, it’s hard to resist a round of old school games like Pada and Nhodo, played using stones, and Tsoro, a type of hopscotch.

These games, and many more, help build togetherness, sharing and social skills among children. So, who said Christmas time can’t be educational?

It’s a society

In Zim, there are many communities of extended family members, friends, neighbours, and colleagues. These groups, usually called societies, help one another financially by making contributions to raise funds. Coming together is also a big part of Christmas time for them.

In early December, before the big break, these societies meet up to share Christmas gifts and ration their last contributions for the year. These monies support families in covering the long list of costs that accumulate over the holiday period.

Traditional Christmas food in Zimbabwe

Christmas Eve is when the food prep starts, because a large meal for a large family is on the menu. The kitchen buzzes with vegetable-peeling, teary-eyed onion-chopping, recipe-tasting, and more. Sometimes an animal is slaughtered and traditional beer is hand-brewed out of sorghum or malt, for a big feast.

Chicken, while quite pricey these days, is especially savoured during Christmas in Zimbabwe. Naturally, there are a number of ways to enjoy chicken, but it is often the stew, curry, and oven-roast recipes that take the cake.

At noon, after church, many homes gather around a spread of much-loved dishes like Mopane, which are worms that grow on trees; a delicacy in Zim and many other African countries.

You can also look forward to mouthwatering Derere (okra relish) and nutty Nhopi (pumpkin soup) accompanied by the staple starches like Sadza (stiff corn meal) and Mupunga Une Dovi (peanut butter rice). Snacks include Mhandire which is roasted corn mixed in with groundnuts because Zimbos enjoy anything that has peanuts in it!

Christmas, as you may know, doesn't come cheap. While Zim’s economy has seen significant struggle over recent years, people continue to find ways to save and be enterprising with money. According to our Cost of Christmas around the world survey, in 2022 the average cost of Christmas food in Zim, is projected to take up 33% of your budget. Ideally there is more than enough food to go around for seconds and thirds because hey, Christmas only comes once a year!  

Christmas decorations in Zimbabwe

Zimbabweans are big on decorations. Grand bells and whistles line the malls and streets as pubs bustle with merriment, and hawkers fill the pavements with Christmas gifts and eye-catching merchandise for sale. There are bursts of colour and sparks of light everywhere you look.

At home, a fir Christmas tree is placed in the dining room or lounge, and decorated with charming ornaments and trinkets -  mostly-hand crafted.  

Before the pandemic, it was easier to achieve the Christmas aesthetic of your dreams. These days, however, decorations have been downsized. Our Cost of Christmas around the world survey reveals that in 2022, Zimbo’s should expect to part with at least 46% of their Christmas budget to acquire the shiny and sparkly things.

Santa Claus and Christmas gifts in Zimbabwe

Under and around the Christmas tree, gifts are wrapped in colourful Christmas paper. An adult, or older sibling, is selected to be the ‘Santa’.  This person presents each family member, mostly the younger generation, with their surprise Christmas gift. Gifts are usually clothes, toys, gadgets, and candy.

As mentioned before, Zimbabweans are gifted artists and craftspeople. They make a variety of ornaments out of wire, beads, clay, wood, stone, and leather. Popular gifts include handmade jewellery, ceramics, woven baskets, fabrics, and more. Talk about Christmas eye-candy!

Looking at our Cost of Christmas around the world study, however, gifting has had to take a backseat in the budget. With the effects of the pandemic, gifts are estimated to set Zimbabweans back 22% of their Christmas spend.

Traditional Christmas songs in Zimbabwe

Have we mentioned how much Zimbos love music? No gathering is complete without it. Someone will usually pull out their biggest stereo speaker, put it in front of the house, and get the party started.

The musical tastes are varied, but you can enjoy everything from old school jazzy joints, to new school Dance Hall favourites. These days you’ll also get many requests for Amapiano hits, which are all the craze right now.

Here are 5 Zimbabwean hits for your Christmas in Zim dance challenge:

• Mazano - Nicholas Zakaria

• Chitekete - Leonard Dembo

• Insimbi Zezhwane - GPS

• Mabhawuwa - Khiama Boys

• Loi - Koffi Olomide

How do you say Merry Christmas in Zimbabwe?

Africans love to play around with language, naming and renaming things as we go along. Zimbabweans boast a whopping 16 official languages. Here are some ways they extend best wishes and Merry Christmas:

• English - Merry Christmas

• Chewe - Moni wa chikondwelero cha Kristmasi

• Ndebele - Izilokotho ezihle zamaholdeni  

• Shona - Muve neKisimusi

• Zulu - Niwudle kam’nandi uKhisimusi

While times are tough after the pandemic, Christmas in Zimbabwe remains a beacon of celebration, thanksgiving, and togetherness. After everything is said and done, and Christmas activities wind down - and a good feast enjoyed - Zimbabweans relax. You can find them catching up amidst laughter as they plot out the upcoming New Year's Eve fun, and set resolutions for the new year.

Want to know more about Christmas traditions around the world? Visit our blog. Or maybe you’re interested in the cost of Christmas across the globe?

We wish you a happy and restful Christmas!