Festivals in Nigeria - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

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

Nigeria

Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...

or unique to the people of a locality.
The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation has been working with the states to upgrade the traditional festivals, which may become important sources of tourism revenue.

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.
There are three main Muslim

Muslim

A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...

festivals, Eid Al Fitri

Eid ul-Fitr

Eid ul-Fitr, Eid al-Fitr, Id-ul-Fitr, or Id al-Fitr , often abbreviated to Eid, is a Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting . Eid is an Arabic word meaning "festivity," while Fiṭr means "breaking the fast"...

, Eid Al Maulud

Mawlid

Mawlid or sometimes ميلاد , mīlād is a term used to refer to the observance of the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad which occurs in Rabi' al-awwal,...

and Eid Al Kabir, all national public holidays.
The different ethnic groups in different locations have different traditions for celebrating these festivals.

The three-day festival of Eid Al Fitri celebrates the end of the holy month of Ramadan

Ramadan

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...

, 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.
Eid Al Maulud is held to observe of the birthday of the prophet

Prophets of Islam

Muslims identify the Prophets of Islam as those humans chosen by God and given revelation to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well...

Muhammad

Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...

, and occurs in Rabi' al-awwal

Rabi' al-awwal

Rabi' al-awwal is the third month in the Islamic calendar. During this month, Muslims around the world celebrate Mawlid - the birthday of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Sunni Muslims believe the exact date of birth of Muhammad to have been on the twelfth of this month, whereas Shi'a Muslims believe...

, the third month in the Islamic calendar

Islamic calendar

The Hijri calendar , also known as the Muslim calendar or Islamic calendar , is a lunar calendar consisting of 12 lunar months in a year of 354 or 355 days. It is used to date events in many Muslim countries , and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Islamic...

.
Politicians and religious leaders have used the festival to urge Muslims to embrace forgiveness, sharing, kindness and love, and to eschew violence.
Eid al Kabir (known as Eid al-Adha elsewhere), or "Festival of Sacrifice", is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslim

Muslim

s worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham

Abraham

Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...

(Ibrahim) to sacrifice

Sacrifice

Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...

his son Ishmael

Ishmael

Ishmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...

(Isma'il) as an act of obedience to God

God in Islam

In Islamic theology, God is the all-powerful and all-knowing creator, sustainer, ordainer, and judge of the universe. Islam puts a heavy emphasis on the conceptualization of God as strictly singular . God is unique and inherently One , all-merciful and omnipotent. According to the Islamic...

, 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

Dhu al-Hijjah

Dhu al-Ḥijjah is the twelfth and final month in the Islamic calendar.This is a very sacred month in the Islamic calendar, marking the end of the year. It is in this month in which the Hajj takes place....

, the last month in the Islamic calendar.

Durbar festival

Durbar festival

A Durbar festival is an annual festival celebrated in several cities of Nigeria. It is celebrated at the culmination of Muslim festivals Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha...

s 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

Kano Emirate

The Kano Emirate is a traditional state in Northern Nigeria with headquarters in the city of Kano, capital of the modern Kano State.The Emirate was formed in 1805 during the Fulani jihad, when the old Hausa Kingdom of Kano became subject to the Sokoto Caliphate.During and after the colonial period...

, 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.
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.
Durbar festivals are being developed as important tourist attractions.

Christian festivals

Christian

A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...

s account for about 40% of the Nigerian population, living throughout the country but predominantly in the south.
The main Christian festivals are Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

and Easter

Easter

Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...

. The way in which these holidays are celebrated often incorporates traditions from earlier religions.

Christmas is held on 25 December each year to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
It is a public holiday in Nigeria.
In Igboland

Igboland

Igboland, or Igbo land , also known as the Ibo, Ebo, and Heebo Country, is a cultural region in Nigeria that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Igbo people...

, 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.
In some areas, palm branches are hung inside and outside the houses, signs of peace and symbols of Christmas.
Easter is held to commemorate the crucification of Jesus Christ on Good Friday

Good Friday

Good Friday , is a religious holiday observed primarily by Christians commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and may coincide with the Jewish observance of...

and to celebrate his resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday.
It is a public holiday in Nigeria.
Easter usually occurs in April.
Easter Sunday is a joyful occasion, celebrated with feasting, dancing, drumming, and sometimes with public masquerades and dancers.

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

Boko Haram

Boko Haram is a Nigerian Islamist group that seeks the imposition of Shariah law throughout the whole of Nigeria. The group presently has an undefined structure and chain of command...

were blamed for several incidents.
Some reports placed the death toll as high as 80.
In 2011, Easter occurred just after elections in which Goodluck Jonathan

Goodluck Jonathan

Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, BNER, GCON is the 14th Head of State and current President of Nigeria.He was Governor of Bayelsa State from 9 December 2005 to 28 May 2007, and was sworn in as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on 29 May 2007. Jonathan is a member of the...

, 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.

Argungu Fishing Festival

The Argungu Fishing Festival is an annual four day festival in the town of Argungu

Argungu

Argungu is a city in Nigeria's Kebbi State, situated on the Sokoto River. As of 2007 Argungu had an estimated population of 47,064.The city is the seat of the Argungu Emirate, a traditional state....

in the north-western Nigerian state of Kebbi

Kebbi State

Kebbi State is a state in north-western Nigeria with its capital at Birnin Kebbi. The state was formed from part of Sokoto State in 1991. Kebbi State is bordered by Sokoto State, Niger State, Dosso Region in the Republic of Niger and the nation of Benin. It has a total area of...

. 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.

Calabar Carnival

The Calabar Carnival

Calabar Carnival

Calabar Carnival festival in Nigeria, also tagged " Africa's Biggest Street Party", was created as part of the vision of making the Cross River State in Nigeria, the number one tourist destination for Nigerians and tourist all over the world...

has been held in Calabar

Calabar

Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....

since 2006, including band competitions, a parade, food and dancing. It has been called Nigeria's biggest street party.
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.

Eyo festival

The Eyo Festival is held in Lagos

Lagos

Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...

, Nigeria

Nigeria

.
It is usually performed in Lagos Island

Lagos Island

Lagos Island is the principal and central local government area of the Metropolitan Lagos in Nigeria. It is part of the Lagos Division. As of the preliminary 2006 Nigerian census, the LGA had a population of 209,437 in an area of 8.7 km²...

.
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

Brazilian Carnival

The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter. On certain days of Lent, Roman Catholics and some other Christians traditionally abstained from the consumption of meat and poultry, hence the term "carnival," from carnelevare, "to remove meat." Carnival celebrations...

in Brazil.

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

Oshun

Oshun, or Ochun in the Yoruba religion, is an Orisha who reigns over love, intimacy, beauty, wealth and diplomacy. She is worshipped also in Brazilian Candomblé Ketu, with the name spelled Oxum. She should not be confused, however, with a different Orisha of a similar name spelled "Osun," who is...

, an important Yoruba

Yoruba people

The Yoruba people are one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa. The majority of the Yoruba speak the Yoruba language...

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.

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.
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.
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.

Yam Festivals

Yam Festivals are popular holiday in Ghana

Ghana

Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...

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.
Leboku is the name for the annual New Yam Festival celebrated in Ugep

Ugep

Ugep is a town in Cross River State, southern Nigeria.The village is populated by the Yakurr people.The Leboku New Yam festival is celebrated in Ugep....

, Nigeria

Nigeria

, one of the five settlements of Yakurr

Yakurr

YakurrThe Yakurr comprises five urban settlements in Nigeria. They were formally known as Umor, Ekoli, Ilomi, Nkoibolokom and Yakurr be Ibe. Due to linguistic problems encountered by the early European visitors, the settlements have come to be known by their mispronounced versions – Ugep, Ekori,...

,
to honor of the earth goddess and the ancestral spirits of the land.
The Iriji-Mmanwu festival is held in Enugu state

Enugu State

Enugu State is a mainland state in southeastern Nigeria. Its capital is Enugu, from which the state - created in 1991 from the old Anambra State - derives its name. The principal cities in the state are Enugu, Agbani, Awgu, Udi, Oji, and Nsukka....

in August.
At the festival, over two thousand masqueraders from across Igboland

Igboland

Igboland, or Igbo land , also known as the Ibo, Ebo, and Heebo Country, is a cultural region in Nigeria that includes the indigenous territory and cultural reach of the Igbo people...

and from other states in Nigeria dance and give acrobatic displays, wearing unique and colorful costumes. In the Igbo

Igbo people

Igbo people, also referred to as the Ibo, Ebo, Eboans or Heebo are an ethnic group living chiefly in southeastern Nigeria. They speak Igbo, which includes various Igboid languages and dialects; today, a majority of them speak English alongside Igbo as a result of British colonialism...

tradition, masquerades are thought to be reincarnated dead ancestors, with supernatural powers.

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