Christmas parade lights up the night

KUCHING: Kota Samarahan’s streets were filled with Christmas cheer recently as the Sarawak Association of Churches Samarahan Branch (ACSSB) hosted its long-awaited Christmas Parade and Celebration, themed “Peace Be With You!”
The parade, the first since 2018, saw 700 church members from various denominations under the ACSSB marching from St. Francis’ Church through residential areas to Farley Supermarket Kota Samarahan.
A subsequent celebration at the supermarket drew a crowd of 800, who enjoyed a diverse lineup of performances, including choirs, dancers and a blessed draw.
Rev Steward Damat from the Sarawak Iban Annual Conference Methodist Church delivered the keynote sermon, focusing on the birth of Jesus Christ and His transformative love.
In a statement, organisers emphasised the event’s significance beyond religious celebration, seeing it as an opportunity to strengthen community bonds and showcase the region’s rich multicultural and religious harmony.