People who are well-off generally buy gifts for family & friends but the holiday is not as commercial as it is American & European countries, because main emphasis is more on the religious part of celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ than gift giving. Usually & most importantly, Christians buy a new set of clothes to be worn to the church service. Majority of African Christians are too poor to be able to afford presents for their children & there aren’t too many toy stores in rural Africa to shop at anyway. If gifts have to be exchanged in poorer communities they usually come in the form of school books, soap, cloth, candles and other practical goods.

As in most Christian cultures, celebrating Christmas dinner with friends and family is the second priority after attending church. Since Christmas is a public holiday in most countries people take the opportunity to visit friends and family. In East Africa goats are sold out at a blink of an eye at the local markets and roasted on Christmas day. In South Africa the sun is hot and the beaches are full of families enjoying braais (barbeques) or traditional Christmas dinners with paper hats, mince pies, turkey and plum pudding (a vestige of the British colonial legacy.) In Ghana Christmas dinner is not complete without fufu and okra soup and in Liberia rice, beef and biscuits are the order of the day. Zimbabweans make sure there are plenty of bread, jam and tea to eat along with their goat meat.

The history of Christianity in Africa dates back to the 1st Century AD. Every missionary have heard & witnessed that Africans are very spiritual people. (Besides Christianity, the other main religions are Islam and indigenous beliefs). Going to church is generally the main focus of Christmas celebrations in Africa. Nativity scenes are played out, carols are sung and in some cases dances are performed.

Decorating shop fronts, mango trees, churches and homes is common throughout African Christian communities. There are some reports of fake snow decorating store fronts in Nairobi, palm trees laden with candles in Ghana or oil palms loaded with bells in Liberia.

On Christmas Day or Christmas Eve, a special meal is usually served. In some regions, particularly in Eastern Europe, these family feasts are preceded by a period of fasting. Candy and treats are part of Christmas celebration in many countries.