African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 611 - 289 New Year
In the blink of an eye, it was New Year in East Africa again.
"Whoosh..."
In the central square of First Town, neatly arranged fireworks were ignited in sequence, bursting instantly in the pitch-black sky. Many citizens gathered with their families to enjoy the magnificent fireworks.
Without industrial pollution, the sky in First Town was exceedingly pure, the stars brilliant, and the fireworks merged with the celestial river in the deep sky, creating a pleasing sight.
The only regret was the absence of the sound of firecrackers, so the atmosphere was slightly lacking. Nonetheless, for the somewhat monotonous lives of the East African people, the fireworks during the New Year were satisfying enough.
"This is the first time I’ve seen a fireworks display during the New Year in East Africa, which shows the country’s economic development is getting better and better. In the past, there was a shortage of everything in East Africa, but now there are all sorts of things!"
European fireworks technology was introduced from the Far East during the Mongol Empire’s western expedition and quickly became popular in Europe. By the 16th century, production had already begun in Italy, so it’s not unusual after hundreds of years of development.
However, the history of fireworks production in East Africa is short, only introduced in 1878, and after two years of development, it only began to take shape. This is why many old immigrants felt emotional after watching the fireworks show.
East Africa has only one fireworks factory, built in Mbeya City, because fireworks are not widely used in East Africa. Besides government procurement, almost no private individuals buy them, and they are generally only used during celebrations or festivals.
Therefore, Mbeya City has the sole factory, but it supplies the entire country’s demand for fireworks. If the fireworks industry is to develop, resident income must increase, or economic regulations must be loosened in East Africa.
Tonight, dozens of cities in East Africa held fireworks displays, including First Town, Soga City, Dar es Salaam, Bajamojo, Mombasa, Mbeya, Nairobi, Harare... all the more powerful cities had fireworks shows.
Among the more powerful cities in East Africa are primarily the capital, various provincial capitals, and more economically developed cities.
These cities had prepared fireworks in advance. Mbeya City is centrally located in East Africa and is an important transport hub, making supply convenient.
As for less powerful cities and villages, citizens and government-organized related celebrations were held. Naturally, most involved families gathering for a New Year’s dinner. Mixed families were common in East Africa, making New Year’s quite standard.
Compared to Christmas five days ago, New Year’s Day is more festive and lively, and it’s easier to relieve the stress of the entire year.
This is understandable since Christmas is a religious holiday, and in the 19th century, religious believers were devout, making the Christmas atmosphere solemn.
It is noteworthy that East Africa’s New Year long holiday is connected to Christmas, as East Africa lacks distinct seasons, so the Gregorian calendar’s January 1st is designated as New Year.
In the West, Christmas is the most representative important holiday, whereas for the Far East Empire, it’s Spring Festival. East Africa has no spring, so the Chinese Spring Festival becomes New Year. Though future generations of the Far East Empire also have a habit of translating East Africa’s New Year as "East African Spring Festival," the meaning remains unchanged despite the timing difference.
The happiest during the New Year holiday should be East African students. During this time, most of East Africa is in summer, so in the Far East Empire, winter vacation turns into summer vacation in East Africa. Moreover, since half of East Africa is north of the equator, it becomes winter vacation.
Regional differences make East Africa’s New Year special, yet the government generally sets and establishes the New Year according to immigrant traditions.
For example, the New Year from the Abysinnia Empire is vastly different from East Africa’s, occurring at the transitional period between rainy and dry seasons, in September.
East Africa cannot learn from the Abysinnia Empire, as the geographical environment in East Africa is too unique. The rainy seasons vary across the country, and the national distribution even causes different seasons.
For instance, Tanganyika has two rainy seasons, and the highland and plain regions in East Africa have inconsistent temperatures. In some high-altitude areas, temperatures can reach zero in winter, requiring winter clothing.
Of course, in most of East Africa, the so-called winter is generally in June or July, overlapping with the dry season. The lowest temperatures are at night, so it’s dry and cold but not fatal.
The royal family also adapted to the local customs, with Ernst’s family, parents-in-law, and Prince Karl celebrating the New Year at the palace, enjoying a grand New Year’s dinner with over a hundred different dishes.
Especially the Chinese cuisine, with a wide variety and diverse flavors. As for German food, it relies more on sausages, various German specialty-flavored sausages holding up the face of German cuisine.
However, European nobility highly regards French cuisine, so the royal table also includes elaborate French dishes.
Ernst describes it as elaborate rather than flavorful because many French foods are sweet, not suiting Ernst’s palate, but Constantine and others enjoy them.
The Sweet Palace and First Town were brightly lit, putting considerable pressure on East Africa’s electricity supply system.
Of course, the Sweet Palace typically has uninterrupted power at night, but today almost all rooms and halls were lit up.
Commoners, naturally, cannot be as extravagant as the royal family, but they prepared plenty of New Year’s goods to reward their hard work over the year.
With the construction of railways and roads, many regional products and specialties, even foreign imported goods, are more accessible in East African stores, enhancing the value of East African currency due to diverse choices.
Take meat, for example, which saw a surge in supply in 1880, thanks to significant development in East Africa’s livestock industry, notably in beef supply, and some rare meats started appearing, including chicken, duck, goose, pork, and lamb.
The variety of grain choices is even richer, beyond common staples like rice, wheat, corn, and soybeans. Millet, sorghum, and potatoes are also common, giving East Africans numerous choices for staple foods.
Beverages are the same story, with coffee, tea, and various liquors entering daily life in East Africa. Currently, East Africa’s tea and coffee plantation scales meet domestic demand, and various homemade fruit and grain wines are abundant.
Other items, such as tobacco, clothing, and various handicrafts, are increasingly varied. In terms of clothing, food, housing, and transport, East Africans have seen comprehensive improvements in living standards.
This all owes to the increasingly complete industrial system in East Africa, encompassing not only industry but also handicrafts and agriculture. Especially the development of traditional handicrafts provides East Africa with many indispensable goods.
The work across East Africa was still busy in 1880, with major projects, industrial layout, inland development, and more. Thus, saying 1880 was quite a challenging year is correct.
The whole of East Africa was in a cheerful mood, but some groups continued to be overlooked. That was East Africa’s vast Black population, sharing none of East Africa’s happiness amid its countless festive lights.
In the glittering East Africa, Black people could only rest peacefully in their dark shacks, but the East African New Year was not entirely without benefits for them. With many East Africans on vacation and projects temporarily on hold, Black laborers could also take a break.
