The Yuletide season in Nigeria comes with its own kind of warmth. Even when the harmattan wind dries our lips and paints the morning air white, there is still a softness in December that the rest of the year rarely gives. It is the period when markets stay busy, roads grow fuller, and the whole country seems to prepare for one long exhale after eleven months of struggle.
Everywhere you turn, you see small signs that the year is slowly folding itself away. Children practising carols under mango trees, neighbours stringing up Christmas lights, families discussing travel plans back to the village. Even for those of us who do not celebrate Christmas religiously, the atmosphere feels familiar. It is a season that invites you to pause and reflect on how far you have come.
As a Muslim, I might not take part in some of the celebrations but I definitely understand the value of gratitude. December reminds me to look back at the challenges I have been through and the ease that followed. It urges me and many people to remember the prayers that were answered quietly, the opportunities that came without noise, the strength that carries us from one demanding week to another.
But this season also carries a softer truth. Not everyone enters December with excitement. Some people step into it with tight budgets, some with quiet grief, some with an empty seat at the family table. Life does not always brighten just because the calendar says it is a festive season.
That is why kindness matters even more at this time. A simple greeting. A little help. A message that says you are not forgotten. These small gestures are often the real celebrations.
As the year draws its final curtain, may this period bring you calm in unexpected places.
May Allah fill your heart with gratitude, grant you ease in all your affairs, and guide your steps toward a better year ahead. As we move into a new chapter, may hope settle comfortably in your spirit again.
***Published on December 13
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