Yuletide: Lagosians Compare Years, And What Xmas Should be

Last-minute Christmas shoppers

BY ODUEME GIFT

Amidst complaints of challenges in the economy, Lagos residents have been sharing their experiences with The Eagle correspondents, declaring their hopes, expectations and also their disappointments. Residents in Lagos are really optimistic and restless as Christmas approaches in just a day.

Some were unimpressed by the fact that even a few days to Christmas proper, that there were little or nothing on ground to suggest that such a great festivity was imminent.

As to the reason for this, they pointed to the challenging economic situation in the country.

For Miss Sarah Odafe, a travel consultant and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lacrisp Travels and Tours, celebrating the season is beyond merriment.  This is why she stridently supports giving to the needy during Christmas period and beyond.

She says “Your gorgeous dresses, tasty jollof rice and chicken do not mean Christmas, though you may want it because it is not even abominable but it isn’t all that necessary.

Odafe further said, ”the economy as it is now, has impeded and retarded business growth as recorded this year unlike the previous year, December 2017,where clients booked travel tickets, craved to secure a visa to travel abroad on vacation”.

Notwithstanding the lull in the economy, Okpor Juliet, an undergraduate made it clear in her statement that she is so happy because “my father would be returning from the United States of America, to celebrate with us and long seen relatives will be present at the welcome/Christmas celebration party”.

Juliet said the fact that the years she had not set her eyes on her daddy would be compensated for this Christmas is sufficient to keep happy all through and even beyond.

Mrs Olukemi Adebanjo, who deals in fabrics of different kinds, there is big difference however, between this year’s Christmas and previous years’.

“There is a difference in sales which I made in previous years compared to this year.

” There is limited sales as to what I expected and I must say I have not witnessed this sort of a Christmas preparation since I have been in the business”.

For Mr Austin Thompson, a Contractor, there is more to Christmas than sales and merriment.

He added: ”For me Christmas is a celebration of love, it doesn’t matter if I have not gotten clothes for Christmas but my concern is to show love to the isolated, make people feel loved and celebrated”.

He further said, “I wish Santa could go around homes in Nigeria and issue gifts to residents like it’s being done overseas and make people feel loved and cared for”.

For others, no love, No Christmas; but Christmas is love.

Like someone counselled: “Put a smile on someone’s face, show him there is hope for a better tomorrow”, that is what Christmas means.