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German Christmas Drink's Name Causes Stir
26 Feb
Summary
- A popular winter drink called Lumumba is now controversial.
- The drink is named after Patrice Lumumba, a Congolese politician.
- Debate grows over colonial memory and seasonal traditions.
The Lumumba cocktail, a favored winter beverage across Northern Europe, is currently embroiled in a cultural controversy surrounding its name. This warm, spiked cocoa drink, popular in Germany, Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Spain since at least the 1960s, has inadvertently become linked to Patrice Lumumba.
Lumumba was a prominent Congolese politician and a significant symbol of African anticolonial movements. His assassination in 1961, during the Cold War, has led to a reconsideration of the drink's name. The growing debate about colonial memory is prompting a re-evaluation of this nostalgic seasonal tradition, particularly as it is often served at Christmas markets and ski resorts.
