25th December 2007
Africans 'dangerously low in Christmas time knowledge'
The few Africans who know it's Christmas time at allll |
According to the YuleGov poll, only 37 per cent of Africans know that it is Christmas time at all, whereas in the West the average was 77 per cent.
Christmas time
Just seven years ago these figures were 43 per cent and 78 per cent respectively, the survey adds, stating that Africa is at "alarming low" levels of Yuletide based knowledge.
"Such a gap puts the average African at a competitive disadvantage with their cousins in the developed world in the highly important area of seasonality awareness," said Dr Mike Woodward-Woodward, chairman of YuleGov.
Mistletoe and wine
Such low levels come despite the efforts of assorted pop stars and hangers-on to raise awareness in Africa of the Christian festival, with Bonio going so far as to have a childish strop to ensure he sang the same line twice for maximum Christmas awareness.
"Alas, such efforts, while commendable in creating a peak in Christmas efforts in 1984, have not stopped the gap widening," commented Dr Woodward-Woodward.
Professor Wuiely B'eard, of Fulham Polytechnic's colonial studies department, said that the legacy of imperialism in the continent has much to answer for.
Children singing Christian rhyme
However, Dr Woodward-Woodward pointed to Asia, which also suffered under imperial rule, saying that levels of Christmas awareness has risen from 28 per cent in 1960 to a record 94 per cent this year, beating even American levels.
"All I can say is that Western pop singers really need to get their act together if Africa is not to sink to dangerous levels of Christmas awareness. At current rates, by 2020 most Africans will not even have heard of snow, Christmas feasting, or receiving unwanted gifts," warned Dr Woodward-Woodard.
Christmas time
Just seven years ago these figures were 43 per cent and 78 per cent respectively, the survey adds, stating that Africa is at "alarming low" levels of Yuletide based knowledge.
"Such a gap puts the average African at a competitive disadvantage with their cousins in the developed world in the highly important area of seasonality awareness," said Dr Mike Woodward-Woodward, chairman of YuleGov.
Mistletoe and wine
Such low levels come despite the efforts of assorted pop stars and hangers-on to raise awareness in Africa of the Christian festival, with Bonio going so far as to have a childish strop to ensure he sang the same line twice for maximum Christmas awareness.
"Alas, such efforts, while commendable in creating a peak in Christmas efforts in 1984, have not stopped the gap widening," commented Dr Woodward-Woodward.
Professor Wuiely B'eard, of Fulham Polytechnic's colonial studies department, said that the legacy of imperialism in the continent has much to answer for.
Children singing Christian rhyme
However, Dr Woodward-Woodward pointed to Asia, which also suffered under imperial rule, saying that levels of Christmas awareness has risen from 28 per cent in 1960 to a record 94 per cent this year, beating even American levels.
"All I can say is that Western pop singers really need to get their act together if Africa is not to sink to dangerous levels of Christmas awareness. At current rates, by 2020 most Africans will not even have heard of snow, Christmas feasting, or receiving unwanted gifts," warned Dr Woodward-Woodard.
