Chapter 114 Christmas in East Africa
While Europe and the United States were immersed in the festive atmosphere of Christmas, the East African colonial government also planned Christmas celebrations in the East African colonies.
As part of the Germanization of East Africa, all residents are required to participate. Of course, in this era of lack of entertainment, the people still like to join in the fun.
For immigrants from Europe, this Christmas is very novel. After all, there is no winter in East Africa, and the overall climate is very similar to summer in Europe, giving them a feeling of celebrating Christmas in summer.
Not to mention the Chinese immigrants, I have never seen them before, but the Paraguayan immigrants feel very good, because the latitude of Paraguay is relatively close to that of East Africa, the temperature in Paraguay is above 10 degrees all year round, and the altitude is about 300 to 600 meters. An extension of the Brazilian plateau, with the La Plata plain to the south.
Especially in the northern part of Paraguay, which also has a savannah climate, so Paraguayan immigrants to East Africa are very adaptable to the local climate. This also caused the least loss in East Africa, although Paraguayan immigrants are mainly women and children.
European immigrants and Paraguayan immigrants have a clear mind on how to celebrate Christmas, but Chinese people have less knowledge.
The ones who came early, participated last year, but I haven’t seen the ones who came this year, so in order to let the Chinese take the initiative to participate and avoid conflicts (after all, Christmas is a religious festival with many rules and taboos.).
The East African government sent a large number of preachers, mainly teachers, to explain the details and taboos to the Chinese immigrants. Otherwise, it would be a joke, but it would not end well.
This time, Christmas in East Africa is definitely an unforgettable day for Chinese immigrants. Apart from the hand-in-hand teaching by the East African colonial government, it is also the first time that some Westerners feel the fanaticism of religion.
The East African colonial government requires the Chinese to participate. In addition to the Chinese, in fact, some Serbs also have different ideas about Christmas.
It's not that they don't celebrate Christmas, but that the Orthodox Church uses a different calendar from the Catholic Church, so there are date differences.
However, now in the East African colonies, there is no church control, and the right to interpret Christmas falls into the hands of the East African colonial governments.
Anyway, it is impossible for ordinary people to understand religion as systematically and strictly as priests. In addition, the strength of the Roman Church has been declining over the years, and its voice has gradually fallen into the hands of various countries.
As long as East Africa does not force these immigrants to change their beliefs (Catholic and Orthodox), only minor modifications, these European immigrants are still acceptable.
A typical example is Chinese immigrants. The East African government only requires them to participate in celebrations, but does not require them to believe in religion.
This is the East African version of freedom of belief. As for why Christmas must be attended, it is only because it is a legal holiday in the East African colonies.
How to realize the Germanization of the East African colonies naturally needs to play tricks on festivals, which can promote German culture.
In the morning, the East African colonies organized people to hold festival parades and performances...
Although Christmas is not a holiday exclusive to Germany, it is found throughout the West.
But it is also an important way for Chinese immigrants to experience and learn Western culture. Just like the immigration plan, this compulsory participation in Western festivals such as Christmas will continue until 1880.
At that time, relying on inertia, many Chinese will continue to celebrate Christmas and other Western festivals, especially those children who have received German cultural education.
In this way, on festivals, immigrants are basically unified, which can be regarded as a kind of cultural integration.
Of course, in addition to festivals, language, clothing, architecture, living habits... These forced immigrants are consistent with German culture and can change the cultural traditions of immigrants.
It is not only Chinese immigrants who have been changed, but all East African residents, such as living habits, which are actually not all German traditions.
Instead, it combines a modern lifestyle with some improvements, such as hygiene, civility...
So, the German culture in the East African colonies is an improved German culture, which is different from Europe in many ways.
These are the most basic cultural content and are closely related to the lives of ordinary people. Some advanced ones, such as poetry, books, music in the German region...
It is not accessible to a large number of illiterate people in the East African colonies. In the future, East Africa will develop and the number of educated people will be more, but it can be adjusted.
…
No matter how much you say, it’s not worth the material enjoyment. In order to celebrate the festival, the East African colonial government distributed many materials that are usually rare.
In addition to all kinds of meat, and double the amount of flour and rice, there are also a lot of sugar and fruits, and every household can share some.
As for the bachelors who eat in the cafeteria, the cafeteria also prepares corresponding food.
In short, everyone has a share. For these immigrants, eating well and being full is more realistic and enjoyable than those activities.
At night, after dinner, it was already dark, and Christmas in East Africa was over.
It is not like Christmas Eve as imagined, what Christmas tree, candlelight, gifts... these Christmas elements.
This is Christmas in East Africa. There is a lack of materials and simple facilities. Even candles are only available in government agencies.
It’s so dark, it’s better to go to bed early to celebrate Christmas Eve, and East Africa is so far away from Europe, so European immigrants feel less burdened.
This is a normal state of mind. In an unfamiliar environment, people will always be infected by the environment.
For example, European immigrants, before they came to East Africa, they were still influenced by tradition, and religion also penetrated into life (as we all know, the church in Europe is a grassroots organization), and finally arrived in East Africa.
These people saw all kinds of people, all kinds of skin colors, all kinds of different beliefs, and even no beliefs. After comparing the results, they still lived the same way. Everyone lived by eating from the fields.
In this way, inadvertently, everyone's respect for the traditional culture they accept is weakened. This is the difference after seeing the world.
There is no need to worry about the impact of this kind of influence. Anyway, it is two-way. After European immigrants come into contact with Chinese, their religious beliefs will weaken. After Chinese immigrants come into contact with European immigrants, they will also be infected by Europeans with different mental outlooks.
So, national integration is going on all the time, but the premise of national integration is that there is a primary and secondary issue, and it can be recognized by both parties.
The priority in East African culture is very clear, and Germans take it for granted that German culture is the best, while other immigrants are short in their hearts.
Especially the Serbs, a nation that doesn’t even have a homeland and has been living under the German aristocracy.
Now the East African colonial government has given everyone the opportunity to become a German, so naturally we must seize it. (Black person:?)
After all, Mu Qiang is the essence of human beings, and the German immigrants are backed by a top power like the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and a military power like Prussia acts as a facade. Even the East African colonies are also the territories of the Germans (Ernst). With such strength, other immigrants Naturally worship in my heart.
But if the status of German immigrants is put first, it is estimated that other people will not agree in their hearts, then everyone should simply join Germany and be Germans, and the problem will be solved.
So, the method of assimilation in the East African colonies is a conspiracy to make everyone willing to be assimilated.
(Black: (▼皮▼#), you gave me a chance!)
(end of this chapter)