Part 5: Christmas In Bangladesh

December 22, 2021

Choyghoria, Batiaghata

District Khulna, Bangladesh

Bangladesh has no Christmas. With less than 1% of the population being Christian, what is the need to celebrate something most people do not believe in? December has come and nearly gone, yet, there is no snow, no hockey, no late-night caroling that leaves you feeling like you are lugging ten pound weights on your eyelids; no Christmas lights, no baristas wishing you a cheery “Merry Christmas!” and no Salvation Army bells.

Instead, it is time for rice harvest. The graceful fields of green have transformed into dancing ribbons of gold. Farmers in pointy hats stoop low over their crops. Cut rice lays in the road to dry. Dried rice is loaded to rickshaw vans and taken to who knows where. The song “Bringing in the Sheaves” comes to mind. I can only think of it the way Gayla used to sing it. “Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves, We shall go to Joyce’s, bringing in the sheaves...”

It is also time to celebrate Victory Day. December 16th was the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan. We were lucky enough to be in Dhaka for Victory Day, and Dhaka was loud and proud. Red and Green hung from every place a guy could hang something. People proudly wore red and green. The shops played boisterous victory songs. Skyscrapers were adorned with massive national flags. Cars were decorated with flags. The little green CNGs had little green and red flags, and in the sky overhead, the helicopters were dragging flags across the sky for the opening act of the airshow. Following came the fighter jets in formation, releasing red and green smoke. There were lots of lights, too. If one could deceive himself, he might almost convince himself they were Christmas lights. But they are not Christmas lights. They are “Victory lights.”

Yet, there is some familiarity; some remnants of home to which we cling. We had our Christmas program one chilly night in Daniel’s living room. The men scooted the furniture to the walls and the ladies turned out the lights and lit candles. I wore my new Salwar Kameez and told my kids that I knew they’d do great. All five students did so well. After the program was over, the children exchanged gifts and we all sang Christmas songs. It was hard to remember that I was 3-stories high in a foriegn country’s crowded capitol.

There may be no snow, but the cold has come at last. Cheryl dug up the thick blankets and jackets that were so neatly folded a year ago. Village people walk past with their heads buried deep into the collars of their thick winter coats. Sunil Kaka, our night guard, wears 3 jackets under his coat, plus a scarf tied securely around his head. It is no good letting the cold air in, for you may get sick and die. I don’t wear 3 jackets, but today, I did manage to play two whole games of badminton without taking my hoodie off. That is not something I ever thought could happen at a mission post in South Asia.

Some highlights lately:

• ● Papa Wayne’s coming to visit all the way from Iowa.

• ● My new co-teacher, Miss Trisha Yoder from Missouri :)

• ● Lauryn’s vocabulary, which is far too advanced for a 6-year old.

• ● Walking to my friend’s house to see his sweet dog’s new puppies.

• ● Having cha talking about the faraway place called “America” with Brother Kobir.

• ● The fact that I have a brand new niece named “Maddie”

• ● And everyday, the wonderful family I live with. I go to bed each night not knowing how I got so lucky:)
  

Merry Christmas to every one of you. I hope you are with people you love, and I hope you have a bottomless cup of coffee and a warm fireplace to sit next to. I hope you have an oversized sweater to bury your hands in so you can grasp your coffee cup with those sweater hands (if that’s the kind of thing you’re into). Most of all, I hope I didn’t bore you to sleep with my letter. I nearly bored myself to sleep whilst writing this, but that may have something to do with it being well past bedtime.

Ok see you love you byeeeeeeeeee! -Kalli