Festivals in Nigeria

Horseman at Kano Durbar (2006)

There are many Festivals in Nigeria, some of which date to the period before the arrival of the major religions in this ethnically and culturally diverse society. The main Muslim and Christian festivals are often celebrated in ways that are unique to Nigeria or unique to the people of a locality.^[1] The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation has been working with the states to upgrade the traditional festivals, which may become important sources of tourism revenue.^[2]

Muslim festivals

About half of the population of Nigeria adhere to the Muslim religion, with Muslims living throughout the country but particularly in the north.50% are Muslims 40% are Christians and 10% percent are other practiced religions ^[3] There are three main Muslim festivals, Eid Al Fitri, Eid Al Maulud and Eid Al Kabir, all national public holidays.^[4] The different ethnic groups in different locations have different traditions for celebrating these festivals.^[1]

The three-day festival of Eid Al Fitri celebrates the end of the holy month of Ramadan, a period of fasting from dawn to dusk each day. The festival is a time to give charity to the poor, and to celebrate the completion of Ramadan with family and friends.^[5] Eid Al Maulud is held to observe of the birthday of the prophet Muhammad, and occurs in Rabi' al-awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar. Politicians and religious leaders have used the festival to urge Muslims to embrace forgiveness, sharing, kindness and love, and to eschew violence.^[6][7]

Bida Emirate durbar festival, 2001

Eid al Kabir (known as Eid al-Adha elsewhere), or "Festival of Sacrifice", is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham (ʾIbrāhīm) to sacrifice his son Ishmael (Ismā'īl) as an act of obedience to God, before God intervened to provide him with a ram to sacrifice instead. A ram, goat, sheep, cow or camel is sacrificed, with the family eating part of the animal and donating the rest to the poor. The festival is celebrated on the tenth day of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month in the Islamic calendar.^[8]

Durbar festivals are celebrated at the culmination of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Durbars have been held for hundreds of years in the northern states, notably the Kano Emirate, and gave an opportunity for conscripts to the army to display their skills as horsemen. In modern times, durbars are held in honor of visiting heads of state. They include a parade, shows and competitions. The horsemen are dressed in vividly colored costumes, with period weapons, and are accompanied by a drum corps and musicians.^[2] Modern Durbar festivals include prayers at the start of the day, followed by parades in town squares or in front of the local Emir’s palace. Horsemanship is still the main focus. Each group must gallop at full tilt past the Emir, then halt and salute him with raised swords.^[9] Durbar festivals are being developed as important tourist attractions.^[10]

Christian festivals

Christians account for about 40% of the Nigerian population, living throughout the country but predominantly in the south.^[11] The main Christian festivals are Christmas and Easter. The way in which these holidays are celebrated often incorporates traditions from earlier religions.^[1]

Christmas is held on 25 December each year to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a public holiday in Nigeria.^[4] In Igboland, in addition to a church service and distribution of gifts the festivities may include Mmo (masquerade) dancing, where men in their twenties or thirties dress in colorful costumes and wear masks. These masquerades, which pre-date the introduction of Christianity, honor the ancestral spirits.^[12] In some areas, palm branches are hung inside and outside the houses, signs of peace and symbols of Christmas.^[13] Easter is held to commemorate the crucification of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and to celebrate his resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday. It is a public holiday in Nigeria.^[4] Easter usually occurs in April.^[14] Easter Sunday is a joyful occasion, celebrated with feasting, dancing, drumming, and sometimes with public masquerades and dancers.^[15]

Christmas and Easter may be times of heightened tension between Christians and Muslims in some areas. On Christmas Eve in 2010 at least 38 people were killed, including shoppers and church attendees. Members of the extreme Islamist sect Boko Haram were blamed for several incidents.^[16] Some reports placed the death toll as high as 80.^[17] In 2011, Easter occurred just after elections in which Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner and Christian, had been elected President. Churches were burned in some parts of northern Nigeria, and some Christians were killed in post-election violence.^[18]

Other important festivals

Argungu Fishing Festival

The Argungu Fishing Festival is an annual four-day festival in the town of Argungu in the north-western Nigerian state of Kebbi. It began in the year 1934, as a mark of the end of the centuries old hostility between the Sokoto Caliphate and the Kebbi Kingdom. The festival is held on the Sokoto river in February or March. Thousand of fishermen equipped only with nets compete to catch the largest fish. Other attractions include dance and music, sporting competitions and exhibits of arts and crafts.people from various the world come to see or look at this festival ^[2]

Festival of Light

The Lagos State Governor Mr. Babatunde Fashola and Chairman Iru / Victoria Island Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Mr. Abayom Daramola at the Official opening of the Lagos Countdown 2012

Light at the end of the tunnel’ is a familiar idiom. However, during the December festive period in Lagos state, we do not have to wait to get to the end of the tunnel before we see the light because the light is at the entrance illuminating the tunnel. The lightning effect, the blaze of colours, the razzmatazz and the synchronised spectacle in its grandiloquence typifies the festival of lights.

The Festival of Light event is a pre- Lagos Countdown event which started in 2012, it is organised by the Lagos Countdown Government and supervised by Lagos Countdown Signage and Advertisements Agency (LASAA) in conjunction with the Lagos State Electricity Board. The Lagos Countdown begins when the Lagos Countdown Governor, Babatunde Fashola officially “switches on” the Lagos Festival of Lights, heralding the holiday season with thousands of decorative lights from the entire stretch of the Marina through Ahmadu Bello Way to Bar Beach. In 2012, the Festival of Lights train rode in the Open roofed Eko Tourist Bus from Marina through the stretch to Ahmadu Bello Way to the cheers and colourful displays of several groups who dotted the road, arriving at the Akin Adesola junction of the Bar Beach which had been a centre point of a carnival like celebration to usher in the holiday season programme. Lagos is again set to play host to a world class cross over festival. One thing that keeps reverberating in these activities is the desire to etch Lagos credential of being a tourist centre among the upper echelon tourist zones. According to Gov. Fashola, the Lagos Countdown“ means much more tourism exposure” coming along with “investment, opportunities and possibilities”. Corroborating the State Governor’s stand, Managing Director of Lagos State Signage and Advertisements Agency (LASAA), Mr George Noah said: “the strategic intent for hosting the event is to put Lagos on the global tourism map in the league of cities as New York, London, Sydney, Paris, Los Angeles and other major destinations that will be commemorating the cross over”. This year promises to be better than last year’s celebration and as Mr Noah puts it: “It would be a new year unlike any before, as we will be celebrating in Lagos with the whole of the world participating with us”.

Calabar Carnival

The Calabar Carnival has been held in Calabar since 2006, including band competitions, a parade, food and dancing. It has been called Nigeria's biggest street party.^[2] The carnival may have as many as 50,000 costumed participants and 2 million spectators, and is broadcast on television across the country. It is the culmination of the month-long Calabar festival.^[19]

Eyo festival

An Eyo Iga Olowe Salaye masquerade jumping

The Eyo Festival is held in Lagos, Nigeria.^[1] It is usually performed in Lagos Island. Eyo also refers to the masquerades that come out during the festival. It is widely believed that Eyo is the forerunner of the modern day carnival in Brazil.No one is to wear hats during the festival^[20]

Osun festival

The Osun Festival is held at the end of the rainy season, usually in August, at the Oshogbo Sacred Forest. The week-long festival is held in honor of the river goddess Oshun, an important Yoruba deity, and is attended by thousands of people. It includes ceremonies where priests seek protection for their local communities through gifts and sacrifices to the goddess.^[2]

Sharo / Shadi Festival

The Sharo or Shadi flogging competition is a traditional rite of passage for Jafun Fulani men. The youths, escorted by girls, are led into the ring of spectators bare chested and armed with whips. As the noise of singing, drumming and cheering rises to a crescendo, each young man must stoically endure a flogging to demonstrate his manhood.^[21] The young man only qualifies to marry if he passes the test, which is administered by another youth of about the same age and size. Most do pass, but carry scars from the ordeal for the rest of their life.^[22] The sharo is generally staged at the time of the dry-season guinea corn harvest, and again during the festival of Id-el-kabir. Usually it lasts for a week and is held in a marketplace. There are other tyes of entertainment including dances, musical performances and tricksters, but the flogging ceremony is the main event.^[23]

Yam Festivals

Yam Festivals are popular holiday in Ghana and Nigeria, usually held in the beginning of August at the end of the rainy season. It is named after yams, the most common food in many African countries. In Nigeria, dancers wear masks that reflect the seasons or other aspects of nature. People offer yams to gods and ancestors before distributing them to the villagers to give thanks to the spirits above them.^{[citation needed]} Leboku is the name for the annual New Yam Festival celebrated in Ugep, Nigeria, one of the five settlements of Yakurr, to honor of the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the land.^[24] The Iriji-Mmanwu festival is held in Enugu state in August. At the festival, over two thousand masqueraders from across Igboland and from other states in Nigeria dance and give acrobatic displays, wearing unique and colorful costumes. In the Igbo tradition, masquerades are thought to be reincarnated dead ancestors, with supernatural powers.^[21]

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