Birth day celebrations in Cameroon are very rare. Parents very often than not even forget the birthdays of their children. Is it because families are relatively large? A question one can not really answer. We ourselves even forget our birthdays. Maybe because nothing very special happens on these days. One more often than not only remember a day before or a day after the actual day. Celebrations are regarded as a luxury. To many it is considered a wastage of time and resources, for it is just like any other day in a man´s life. I am not an exception. All my
life I have never celebrated a birth day. It is common with us in school just to say “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” to our friends and class mates but nothing special followed this. Friends may even be the ones to remind you of your birthday. The situation is gradually changing as some young
people organize their birthday parties and celebrate with friends but note should be taken it is mostly without the support of the parents Sunday the 22nd February made me 21 and this was not only my first birth day away from hope, but one with so many surprises. I had observed during my stay here that birthday celebrations are not only common but are a way of life of the German people. A time for “kaffeeklatch trinket & kuchen Essen” so did one of my host fathers tell me. My host families had therefore prepared my birthday celebration in the German tradition, baked cakes, cooked coffee, tea and as many birthday presents as one will imagine. This I was made to understand only when the party was about to begin, lured like a sheep to by its shepherd I entered the Elisabeth-Saal in St. Josef to take meet my surprise. All my host families present with every thing well decorated and a sound happy birthday was sung for me. What can people do again to tell me that I am loved. Only if my parents knew of this day but the irony in it is that nobody back home even recalled it was my birthday. I was just too surprisethat I could not have known what to do. A remarkable day to remember indeed. I think this experience will always push me to remember my birthday while back in Cameroon. If somebody has ever been surprised, then he will be likely to understand what I mean.
life I have never celebrated a birth day. It is common with us in school just to say “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” to our friends and class mates but nothing special followed this. Friends may even be the ones to remind you of your birthday. The situation is gradually changing as some young
people organize their birthday parties and celebrate with friends but note should be taken it is mostly without the support of the parents Sunday the 22nd February made me 21 and this was not only my first birth day away from hope, but one with so many surprises. I had observed during my stay here that birthday celebrations are not only common but are a way of life of the German people. A time for “kaffeeklatch trinket & kuchen Essen” so did one of my host fathers tell me. My host families had therefore prepared my birthday celebration in the German tradition, baked cakes, cooked coffee, tea and as many birthday presents as one will imagine. This I was made to understand only when the party was about to begin, lured like a sheep to by its shepherd I entered the Elisabeth-Saal in St. Josef to take meet my surprise. All my host families present with every thing well decorated and a sound happy birthday was sung for me. What can people do again to tell me that I am loved. Only if my parents knew of this day but the irony in it is that nobody back home even recalled it was my birthday. I was just too surprisethat I could not have known what to do. A remarkable day to remember indeed. I think this experience will always push me to remember my birthday while back in Cameroon. If somebody has ever been surprised, then he will be likely to understand what I mean.
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