christmas cake

Pakistan is a country with a rather small population of a religious group, which is called christians. Christians follow a 2000 year old beliefsystem, which is based on a singel deity, whom they call “god“. They belief that he has send his “son“ onto a small and rather unimportant planet called “earth“ to rescue the people, spread some love and do a lot of wonders. Although the spreading of this religion hasn't always been as peaceful as the messages conveyed through the “son“ (whom they call Jesus), the arrival of him is still being celebrated in many places of the planet earth.

Despite the fact that there aren't so many christians living in a state which claims to inhibit mainly muslims, the date of the arrival of the son (christmas) was more than consciously in the minds of the people around me. And as they considered me a follower of christianity, tons of christmas-messages arrived on that day in my phone, wishing a happy christmas day. An electronic dancing Weihnachtsmann greeted me at the entrance of the bakery and the uni had a day off due to christmas. It made me a lot thinking how many german christians in my home country would be conscious about celebrations like Eid and would congratulate their muslim fellow citizens?!


As my pakistani family had never celebrated christmas before, they were eager to get to know how christmas was celebrated with my family in Germany. So we decided to make a christmas party and went out to buy loads of food. On the way we stopped at the bakery: I should decide on the christmas cake. Christmas cake?!? That was new to me! But the family was of the firm belief that a christmas cake would belong to a real christmas celebration.

If you want to picture our christmas party: take loads of food (a 'german' potato soup and a great feast of pakistani yummy food of the best pakistani cook I know (my pakistani mom)), the most different people that you can imagine (from an old army officer, a young guy who always pushes to his limits and learns the art of diplomacy by pulling back and an anti-drug officer) and let them meet in an art school somewhere in a war torn country as Pakistan is right now. No snow, no going to church, but friendship, laughter and christmas cake.