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The festive season is in full swing and as the year winds down, many people start making their way back to their family homes for Christmas.
YouTube star and Bona agony uncle Moshe Ndike tells City Press how he will spend his December holidays at home in the Eastern Cape.
“Going home for us means late nights listening to music, dancing with our parents, sharing a bed with four other cousins and just having good family time,” says Ndike, who spends most of the year in Gauteng.
“We usually start our Christmas celebrations early in December. We start drinking about the fifth of December and then continue until about January,” he jokes.
“I love being home. You get to see everyone you don’t often see and you get to celebrate all their achievements. There are also funerals during the year which we can’t always attend so we get together and reflect. We also give thanks for the year and ask our ancestors for wisdom and strength for the following year.”
The flamboyant internet star also just feels in his element when he is at home.
“You just get to be yourself at home. During the year you are working, or even just trying to find a job, so you are stressing. When December comes, it is a time to relax and be your true self.
“I spend most of the year making people laugh. So it’s great when I’m at home and see my family smile and laugh when I’m around. I think sometimes it’s harder to make them laugh though because they know me. They are like ‘oho we so used to you’.”
Ndike admits that the fame he’s attained from his videos means that going home is not the same, considering he’ll be spending most of his time working at events. It’s also caused him to “discover” new family members.
“I’m getting invited to people’s weddings who I didn’t even know. They are like ‘Oh no he’s my cousin’, and I’m like but when did we start being cousins?”
Cooking is a big part of Christmas for the YouTube star’s family – no less than 22 mouths need to be fed.
“Last year I literally did all the cooking, so this year I just want to be spoilt. I don’t mind cooking though; I’ll cook for 50 people but don’t even try asking me to wash five people’s dishes. I hate dishes with my entire life.
“We start cooking and making preparations on the 23rd of December. We decide who gets to cook what, which is usually where the fights begin. People argue over whose potato salad is the best. People just want to come up with whack recipes to make the same three-bean salad. Then it gets tense because one person’s salad isn’t chosen. But we just drink it out the next day over Christmas lunch,” chuckles Ndike.
“We don’t have time to be buying everyone in the family gifts, but the gifts we do usually get are clothes. There is that one outfit you get at the start of December that you know you have to save until the 25th of December. You want to look your best. It’s almost like a mini fashion show and competition. Some of my cousins will rock up with new Carvelas, but come January there is not even money for stationery.”
There are always those people in your family you’d rather not interact with over Christmas but Ndike says you just need to stay in the spirit and you’ll enjoy yourself.
“There is always going to be family drama. You are going to have that drunken uncle and that aunt who judges everyone but as long as you are there to have fun and mind your own business then everything will be fine. As long as you keep to the spirit of Christmas and making your family happy, then you have a winning recipe, your recipe is even better than that three-bean salad.”
As the year draws to a close, Moshe hopes that 2016 will be even better than 2015.
“I’m just going to try focus on me and my craft. In 2016 there will be no more time for Autumn Harvest. Ooh ... by the end of next year I’m going to be popping champagne! Guys, I’m tired of Crackling. It’s giving me heartburn.
Hopefully then my TV will work and I’ll even get a table for it.”
In addition to his social events and being the agony uncle, he will also have a short stint on TV next year.
