When I first was invited to join the Peace Corps in Albania, one of my concerns was being placed in a predominantly Muslim country. Not that I have any issues with Islam per se, but Christianity is part of my fabric, and I thought I might miss the presence of the religion of both my ancestors and my choice for two and a half years. I had an odd experience when I was in China, which was at the time still quite overtly communist and absent of anything other than some hints of Taoism and Buddhism through things like Temples and museums. I stopped dreaming and praying, which for me is quite unusual. I realized when I tried to analyze the situation, it was because for the first time in my life I was in a land that was not saturated with historic Christianity. For me, this was novel, and to be honest, very uncomfortable. Because of this, I was at a bit of a loss as to what to expect from living in a nation that I was told was so different from my own practice. What has met me here in Albania has been quite a different mystery on all levels in terms of approaches to spirituality and religion. It is also something I feel Albania has to offer our world in these days of increasing tribalism and inter-religious strife.
If the historians are to be believed, the ancient peoples of Albania, the Illyrians, are the most antiquated of all Western civilizations. They are famed to pre-date the Greeks, and to be the authors of what we typically attribute to Greek Mythology. What is unique about the Illyrians in terms of documenting their effect on world history, is a glaring lack of written evidence, either through tablets, scrolls or an abundant repertoire of artistic objects. I am coming to learn that during the Greek and Roman times, there were thriving Jewish communities throughout what is modern day Albania, with major centers of learning and worship in Durres as well as my site of Berat. It is thought that because of the strong network of Jewish communities in the region, that the Apostle Paul was actually preaching to the Jews of the day, not the pagans. There are roads in Elbasan recognized as his foot paths for evangelizing in the first century after the Christ Event in Palestine. There are places in Berat that are also famed to be locations of some of his sermons to have been delivered on his tour. We learn through the Epistles and the Acts of the Apostles, that Paul traveled throughout Asia Minor and the Balkans. We hear often about initiatives in Macedonia, and I have seen the plain in modern day Macedonia called the “Paulruci” as evidence of his mission in the area.
Albania claims some of the first Christian communities on Earth. It was part of the Byzantine empire and ultimately fell under Muslim Ottoman rule in the 15th Century. The local Sultans and Imams had a rather tolerant practice of Islam, and allowed the indigenous population to maintain their religious practises, but for a price of higher taxes. Many Albanians at the time converted to Islam mainly for business reasons. Albania also welcomed many of the expelled Jews from Spain and other nation’s pogroms, contributing to the thriving communities along the coast. Throughout Albania's bloody history, locals had to band together to fight various invaders. I was told by a tour guide that fighting in so many conflicts, the populace did not have the luxury of separating themselves along religious communities. The banding of religious groups fighting common enemies resulted in centuries of inter religious coexistence and support.
When Albania came under the Hoxha dictatorship, he ultimately instituted a harsh form of forced atheism, destroying most of the Mosques in the nation, and a large number of Orthodox and Catholic churches. The Churches that survived were made into either storage facilities or military barracks. I was told by one of the Albanian Peace Corps staff, that Hoxha targeted specifically the Muslims and Catholics, killing most of the clergy, because he considered them to be smart and educated, but he left the Orthodox alone, because he considered them to be stupid and harmless. What followed the purges was two generations of non-contact with the outside world, and the supplanting of religion with worship of the dictator and the state. My sector leader told me that during those times, the markets would stop selling items like nuts, eggs and sugar in mid December. These foods are traditional Christmas ingredients. After the New Year, the items would come back onto the shelves. If a person was fasting, they would be suspect of celebrating Ramadan. Another friend of mine informed me that while Christmas was basically obliterated for 50 years, the dictator did like the tree aspect of the holiday, so New Year Trees were allowed instead.
To be honest, I have appreciated not being inundated by the crass materialism that Christmas has come to represent in America. I have enjoyed, actually enjoying Autumn, without all the oppressive blaring of Christmas carols and red and green everywhere starting in mid September. No pumpkin spice latte in red and green cups here, no sir re, just a glorious Autumn ripe with harvest produce and all the glorious orange, red and gold that gets lost in the endless push to get one to buy stuff for December 25th. I had no idea what to expect when it came to Christmas.
Since I live in the Southern Part of Albania, it has a larger Christian population, mostly Orthodox and heavily influenced by Greece, which has been helping to restore the destroyed churches and educate new clergy since there are no seminaries left in Albania. Much to my surprise and delight, decorations started to appear mid December in shops, cafes and city centers. This, I thought, is perfect, just right in terms of timing.
At my host families house, it was fun to watch Ibrahim, a Muslim, dig out the Christmas tree and lights and watch him decorate the deck in front of my room. Slowly, more lights started appearing throughout the city as the days progressed on peoples windows and porches. Sarah, my host mom, has red Christmas balls on her kitchen cupboards, and a wreath on her front door. Poinsettias were at the florists, and fake trees sold everywhere.
The center of Berat erupted into a mish mash of customs all in twinkling lights. Since the sun sets here at 4 pm, it allows for a long viewing of decorations. What I found most adorable was the tree in the center of the square, next to a Santa hut and lighted sled the reindeers.
People could take pictures with a Santa (quite thin my American standards) during regular hours. There was also a Nativity scene, done in Orthodox Byzantine style where people also posed for pictures. It wasn’t set up for that, as there were ropes placed to keep people out of the Nativity house, but people basically stepped over the ropes to pose in the center, between Mary and Joseph, but completely blocking the Christ Child. Such images reminded me somewhat of the donor paintings we often see in terms of religious images, but it was fun to watch all the same. I found it most amusing that everyone’s selfie pose blocked the manger as a “selfie” sort of supplanting themselves in place of the baby Jesus. I am sure there are profound psychological and spiritual underpinnings of such actions, for me it was just really interesting to watch.
Another aspect of local Christmas and New Year’s traditions is the consumption of Turkey or Gel Dita as this bird is called in Albanian. What I found particularly entertaining was the opening of the Holiday Turkey Market (my name, not anything formal) in front of one of the Mosques on the main road of Berat. Throughout the year, one can see flocks of turkeys roaming about the countryside, tended by what I would call “turkey herders.” In the Spring in the larger marketplaces, one can buy baby turkeys in large boxes, that one can take home and fatten up all year leading up to the holiday season. Starting in early December, the local turkey ranchers bring their birds to this one corner in front of the mosque. It was rather darling to watch the turkeys strut their stuff in the front lawn of the Mosque, and observe people carrying the birds off after a bargaining session. I kept thinking of the holiday specials in my markets at home, where you buy $100 of groceries and get a free turkey, I was wondering what the marketing ploys were here in Berat. I was also wondering if this was some sort of fund raiser for the Mosque, again just my speculation but what goes through my mind as a pass these sorts of events as walking home from school.
The schools went all out with Christmas programs, mainly singing secular popular American Christmas songs, which I found quite intriguing. Antonio, Erik and I hosted a Christmas party for the High School. We had Christmas card crafts, cookie decorating, and watched “Home Alone.” After a while, one of the teachers put on traditional Albanian folk music and the teens broke out into circle dancing. I had the honor of attending my schools Christmas Teachers luncheon, which was at this really amazing new restaurant in Berat. I had baked cookies for the teacher, my go-to-American cultural exposure of Oatmeal Raisin. I baked banana bread for my counter part and my director for their Christmas gifts.
One of the volunteers from a Northern Site decided to visit me for Christmas. We found that the Christmas Eve services were at 4:30 and 6:00 pm that night at the main cathedral. We went to the earlier service, not knowing what to expect in terms of public transport. crowds and local revelry. We were part of the six faithful at the service, and watched throughout the liturgy, people show up, go behind the screen, and come out in robes just in time for that part of the service such as carrying the Bible. I also found amazing was how the choir assembled in the same manner. It started with one lone cantor, and more people joined as the evening progressed, expertly arriving when their part of the liturgy was to be sung, and then leaving if it was over. The music was so beautiful, it reminded me of the Aramaic early Christian music I had heard from ancient Arab Christendom. At the end of the service, the Priest, a very tall man with salt and pepper hair and the countenance of what I would call a surfer from California, wished us all a happy Christmas.
The next day, I hosted the Peace Corps Volunteer from the North (Chris) and a French Volunteer (Priscilla) for a lasagna Christmas lunch. It was a quiet day of good conversation and reflection. I made crepes in honor of Priscilla. Persimmons were ubiquitous here, and I had also made a variant of persimmon bars, which helped me feel somewhat at home since this orange pulpy fruit was part of my childhood due to our prolific tree in Santa Ana. I was able to talk with friends via Facebook and called my parents.
It has been interesting watching TV and the ads regarding Christmas, as well as the news coverage. I got to spend New Years in Tirana and enjoy the Christmas Market in the city center. It rivals anything I have seen in tourism promotions for other European nations. Another truly Albanian moment occurred in the middle of the evening revelry of the Christmas market. Kenny G Christmas toons were blaring and the square was all lit up with lights, precisely at 6 pm, the main mosque in the square started the call to prayer. Only in Albania I thought to myself, as I looked at the Mosque which was next to a parliament building twinkling in Christmas lights. I am off to Macedonia to visit relatives and partake in Orthodox Christmas with them. I am sorry to miss however, an Epiphany celebration in Berat where a flaming cross is thrown in the river Osmi, and locals swim to retrieve it. I hope to learn more about this custom.
So this has been my first Christmas in Albania. It was full of surprises and I must say, quite fulfilling. There was just enough “jingle” and Santa to make it fun, and at least from my perspective (I do not watch much Albanian TV, nor go shopping in the larger cities) not the crass materialism that nauseates me in the States. I miss my Church dearly, and the contact with my parents. For some reason, memories of Christmas past have been quite present in my thoughts and dreams. Maybe it is part of aging, or maybe it is due to being in a foreign land, it also might be part of watching the America I knew disintegrate with the gleeful hatchet of corporatist, I long for the days of warmth and caring of my youth. What I have found though, is a deep caring and hospitality of my new home, which at times almost hurts because it reminds me of what I have lost in these last few years. I reflect back to the haunting music of Christmas eve, so reminiscent of the first Christian communities on earth, which might actually be from those very first on this land. I am inspired by how people here all celebrate each holiday, regardless of religious affiliation. Here it seems they learned a painful lesson of what it means to be forced into atheism. Now, it does not matter how you worship or celebrate Divinity, only that you do in what ever manner you find comfortable. I honestly think this is the message of Christmas, of Divinity coming to humanity, to be intimate and whole. I think my experience of Christmas here in Albania is probably the closest to what I think was intended by the first Christmas.
Gezuar Krishtlindjet!
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