Name: Christmas in Kenya: Families spend on average one months salary
Uploaded: 2025-12-25T09:28:31.591Z
Duration: 1 min 57 s
Description: In Kenya, Christmas is primarily a religious celebration that brings families together. As summer approaches and temperatures rise, Santa Claus and Christmas trees are relatively rare. But that does not mean people don’t celebrate — the day is usually marked by generous meals on December 25th.

In Kenya, Christmas is primarily a religious celebration that brings families together. As summer approaches and temperatures rise, Santa Claus and Christmas trees are relatively rare. But that does not mean people don’t celebrate — the day is usually marked by generous meals on December 25th.

Nairobi

Christmas holds significant cultural importance for many Kenyans, with families often traveling from urban centers to reunite with relatives in their hometowns. Traditional foods such as chicken, beef, ugali, and chapati are central to the celebrations, reflecting the diverse customs of different Kenyan tribes.

According to a 2023 study, the average Kenyan family spends about one month's salary on the festive season. Many families save for months to afford travel and special meals, emphasizing the importance placed on gathering with loved ones during Christmas.

Christmas in Kenya: Families spend on average one month's salary

It's time for this family to do their Christmas grocery shopping. The majority of Kenyans are Christians, and celebrating the holidays holds a special significance here. We are expecting more people than usual. We are expecting to feed more than the normal nuclear families, so we'll have to shop a bit more. Putting together the menu takes careful planning. Each Kenyan tribe has its own traditions. How much per kilo? 800? We come from Western Kenya. Chicken is what crowns every ceremony. For my wife, because she's from Central Kenya, for them, chicken is not that much of a big deal, but at least if they have beef and they can make soup, that's good for them. So for us, we are cross-cultural. We believe if we have beef and we have chicken meat, then that celebration, all of us will feel we have celebrated. This year, in addition to meat, two staples of Kenyan cuisine are on the menu. Ugali, a cornmeal porridge eaten daily, and chapati, which is considered much more festive. Chapati is not something we eat very daily, but it's something we consider for a special occasion. And so for Christmas, once you eat it, you believe you've actually celebrated. And to make the celebration complete, the family, like a majority of Kenyans, leaves the capital. Christmas is not Christmas unless you're with family and friends and have fun together. We wait for the whole year. We don't go home in between the year. We wait for Christmas so that we can all travel and be together at home. And since it's also costly, we don't go every now and then. They have been saving for months for this holiday. According to a 2023 study, Kenyans spend on average one month's salary on the festive season.

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