Surihe Gaomas It is 15 days to go before Christmas and a further 22 days before this year ends! So will you be going to your home village this festive season, or do you rather feel the urge to be at the coast where almost all the locals and tourists alike flock to every year? Well, in my opinion, to get away from the load of stress, hustle and bustle of the city life, it is always best to go back to your roots – that is your rural village wherever it may be in the remote areas. Although it may sound like I am campaigning for people to visit their villages this festive season, I believe the only way to really unwind, relax and feel in touch with your traditional background is to go back to your home village. After all, there’s no place better like being at home with your loved ones during a time of sharing gifts and catching up on personal happenings in your family that you might have missed out over the course of the year. It’s not all so often that I have the opportunity to visit my aunties, uncles and the whole host of elders in my village of Okombahe, but I think this time around, I’m not letting that opportunity pass me by. Oh yes, but there is still the flip side of the coin where going to the rural areas can also be a time to take bakkie loads of foodstuffs, like mealimeal, sugar, flour, tea and other basics for survival. People in rural areas expect that from you as a city dweller. This presents extra hard work to check whether you’ve included all these items on your shopping list before travelling. It is therefore sometimes so disheartening to see sad faces, when you arrive there with an empty smile, because after all Christmas is also about holding a bit of a feast where everybody makes merry. Now with the Xmas specials being splashed in front of us from left, right and centre in shopping malls, this is supposedly the time to check your finances and purchase all the goodies for this festive season. However, please also remember the ones who won’t even be able to receive a gift or a meal or drink over the festive season. Yet, as a Christian society, I’m sure most Namibians will keep them at heart. After the recent trip to the Kunene Region with six parliamentarians, I realised that most of them will definitely casually spend their festive season in their respective home villages. “I feel so much at home, and oh how peaceful it is here,” were some of the comments that came from them, as they absorbed the natural scenic beauty of the rural communities. Nevertheless, wherever you may be going this festive season, just remember it is a time for you to count your blessings and celebrate the memorable moments with your family and loved ones.