by Aicha from Cotonou asks Santa for a jam recipe, learns about Benin’s Bight of Benin coastline, and hears about Benin’s sizable Christian population celebrating Christmas warmly
Dear Santa, my name is Aicha and I am nine years old. I live in Cotonou, Benin, where my tantie says our markets are so colorful and so busy that you could spend an entire day just walking through one section.
Dear Aicha, I have wandered through those markets myself, purely for research, and your tantie’s description is entirely fair.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, can I get a Christmas jam recipe? My grandmother makes one from local fruit every December and refuses to share her exact measurements with anyone.
I respect a carefully guarded family recipe far too much to press for details, Aicha. What I can say is that your grandmother’s jam has clearly earned its secrecy through years of well-deserved praise.
My second question is about our coastline. My teacher says our country sits along a curved stretch of coast with a special name. Is that true about the Bight of Benin?
It is, Aicha. The Bight of Benin is a distinctive curved bay along the West African coastline, historically and culturally significant to the entire region. Flying along that shore each Christmas Eve, waves glinting under moonlight, is a beautiful part of my African route.
My third question is, why does my Christian family celebrate Christmas so openly here, alongside neighbors who follow other beliefs?
Benin is home to a religiously diverse population, Aicha, including a sizable and active Christian community, and Christmas is celebrated there with genuine warmth, often alongside respectful appreciation from neighbors of other faiths. I have always admired that kind of open, generous coexistence.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Aicha Houngbo
Cotonou, Benin
P.S. Will you try to guess my grandmother’s jam recipe?
I would not dare attempt it, Aicha. Some secrets deserve to stay safe.
