South Africans celebrate the end of each long year in their own special way. Let’s get into the spirit of Dezemba!
“Have you written your blog post for this week?” asked Anya, the lovely young woman who does the posting and sharing and social media-ing for me.
I hadn’t written it, or even thought about it.
That’s because it’s December – a busy month in our house because my son Jack’s birthday falls on the 14th. This year it was his 21st – and we had two small parties to celebrate, one for his friends and one for family.
So here I am, days before Christmas, bashing out a blog post. It’s December, I mused. What could anyone possibly want to hear from me? Then I remembered: it’s not just December, it’s Dezemba!
What is Dezemba!
People elsewhere won’t know that that means, I thought. I turned to Google, which instantly turned up a glorious Reddit thread called: “Tell me what this Dezemba word means” .
I bring you some highlights :
- Dezemba is the feeling, the spirit, the madness, the love of December. (u/lv666666)
- South Africa shuts down from around the 15th December until around 7 January every year… the country takes a break from the shit and hardships of the last year and make noises about how we’re going to win the lotto next year and that it’ll be better. (u/Faerie42)
- Dezemba also called Festive is also an excuse to act a fool, overspend, drink too much, travel, braais, parties, fashions, summer debauchery, friends and family, really. But also a relief and release. (u/KeenyKeenz)
- For some people Dezember means pausing your main relationship for a December fling (u/neckbreaker471)
- Taking out a new credit card to fund Dezemba so that you can make it through Januworry without stress (u/timlest)
- It’s the Big Days as some people from the Eastern Cape call it. It’s family and friends, braai, groove, no sleep for days, not going home for days. It’s losing your shoes one night and being bare foot until you go home. Its lounging by the pool or lazing on the couch. It’s desserts, scones and Choice Assorted Biscuits. Ke Dezemba boss! (u/SpicyHotHotFever)
This blog is taking a break until 2024. The first post is planned for January 18. I’m off to do the Dezemba thing, and I hope you are too, wherever you are. And I wish for you that “the feeling, the spirit, the madness” stay with you into a joyful and peaceful new year.
Main picture: PXHere, CC0 Public Domain
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