Season 3, Episode 19 – Snow Over Kigali: An African Christmas Tale (Rwanda)

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For this episode, our journey unfolds under warm African skies and rolling green hills, as we venture out of the lingering winter cold and into the famous mountains of Volcanoes National Park.  Instead of tinsel and lights, we are surrounded by dormant volcanoes, dense rainforest, and bamboo groves.  This is the land where Dian Fossey lived for 18 years, studying and protecting the mountain gorillas. The Festive Fans are in Rwanda, the land of Gorillas in the Mist.

The same mist that once cloaked Fossey’s research camps still lingers, softening and blurring the line between past and present. Rwanda’s story is powerful because of its remarkable success over the past three decades.  It is currently one of Africa’s fastest-growing and most forward-looking countries. Rwanda has found a way to embrace both its amazing natural heritage and the profound human tragedy that occurred there.

In the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, the country faced incredible challenges, including a devastated infrastructure, deep social divisions, and a shattered economy. Yet Rwanda has deliberately worked to redefine its global image, from one defined by tragedy in the past to one associated with unity and possibility for the future.

Overall, Rwanda offers a different perspective on the Christmas holiday—one with less emphasis on lights, trees, and shopping, and more on simple acts of faith and gratitude. The atmosphere is festive but modest. It’s less about spectacle and more about meaning, making it a powerful reminder of what the season represents at its core.

Rwanda is a leader in environmental conservation, where plastic bags are banned, communities participate in monthly clean-up days (Umuganda), and conservation of landscapes like Volcanoes National Park is a national priority.  This commitment to conservation, sustainability, and stewardship mirrors how Christmas is celebrated across the country. There is an emphasis on simplicity, shared meals, and gathering.

Rwanda’s Christmas is not just a religious or cultural event, but also an expression of the country’s philosophy that caring for one another and caring for the natural world can be deeply intertwined. In this way, its famous mountain gorillas are woven into this deeper Yuletide message that care, respect, and coexistence — amongst people, nature, and the animal kingdom — are at the heart of what truly makes the season meaningful.

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