Hello Bees! This is my entry to the Cross-culture Monthly Contest by @starstrings01, @selfhelp4trolls, and @blogging-team, this contest enables me to come to light and elaborate more on the cultural values of my tribe, and am happy to participate in it. Feel free to visit the link below to join us in this contest telling us about the culture and traditions of your tribe!
Culture is the law, tradition, and principle governing a tribe or a community, they are rules laid for the descendant to value, respect, and follow them. In Nigeria, we have three Major Ethnic Groups and they;
#1 Igbo
#2 Yoruba
#3 Hausa
These are the three major ones because they are recognized everywhere but we have other minor groups also in Nigeria like the Ijaw's and the Urhobo's, there are many languages in Nigeria but let's divert this! Firstly, I am in Nigeria which makes me a Nigerian, I hail from Anambra State which is located in the Eastern Part of the Country and we are called the Igbo's.
I am from the Igbo Tribe one of the major ethnic groups in Nigeria. Our culture is quite interesting, fascinating and Educative with deeper values and meaning according to the folk tales of our ancestors and forefather the knowledge was passed down traditionally to us, we are the descendants of GAD, one of the grandson's of Jacob... read more of it and we dwell in the Eastern Part of the Country and established ourselves.
We have so many traditions we uphold greatly but I will mention a few of them, one of them include -
👍🏻 # Sharing of Properties- (Ekekọrịta Ala)
In this case, the sharing of inheritance after the demise of the head of the family (father) has been kept that way in the sense that, it's only the sons of the family that have the utmost right to have portions of landed properties, not the daughter's because they believe that the daughters will be given out in marriage and their father's name will no longer live on as they will answer the husband's name and they regard the sons in high esteem because the lineage of the family leaves on forever as they go out and pick their wife who will fill up the house with children to keep the name and inheritance intact.
👍🏻 # Masquerade Festival - (Mmanwu)
This festival is celebrated during the season period it's said to be a moment when the males (young and old) of the community and all family gather to celebrate the dead people, the spirit of their loved ones, sometimes they come out to dance with them, these fetish masquerades are adorned with skulls, bones of the dead, native beads, and leaves that is been consecrated in the shrine for purposes of making those deceased spirits happy, sometimes the masquerade celebrates other activities like the new yam festival which happens every year ...drums of enchantment and singing are being drummed as they dance to the tune. we have different masquerades like the Ajo-ofia (evil forest), Ijele and Izaga they embodies the spirit and human world.
👍🏻 # Taboo/Abomination -( ihe-árú)
Till today if anyone is found guilty of a despicable offense he or she would be banished and abolished from the land of his fathers and never to return even in death. Such crimes can't be forgiven like when a young man killed his father and he was capture, they made him carry the dead body around the village for everyone to witness the abominable act that he committed and after that, he will be cast out.
There are some unspeakable act like sister and brother having intercourse which is never acceptable, if found guilty he and she will parade the whole town and village naked carrying consecrated leaves in their mouth alongside a cow or a goat to perform rituals that will cleanse them from the evil deed and after that, they will be separated or banished.
👍🏻 # Marriage Rites - (Igba nkwu)
This is an unending tradition, it goes on like this till eternity when a young man and woman are about to be joined together as a couple, they are to undergo the process of igba-nkwu it's a tradition that happens to show everyone that she is leaving her father's house to her husband's home. It's normally done that way when she kneels down to give her husband the palm wine from the cup and after that, he asks her to stand up and he puts money into the cup as she returns it.
There will be palm wine and kola nuts alongside spirit drink (Schnapps) to pour on the floor, that act simply means telling the ancestors and forefathers that their daughter has been taken it's usually performed by the elders to conceal both partners and a little sun of money is being paid as a bride price.
👍🏻 # Farming -(ọrụ ugbo)
farming is part of our culture, it's a tradition that is passed down from our Fathers and mothers, every child of the family most engaged in this act and that's why they are rich because they love doing business, this made them hard working. Those days we will be giving hoe, cutlass, and rake and it's a must that a portion of land given to us must be well kept before leaving for school. We plant all types of food stock like the yam, cocoa yam, and vegetables.
👍🏻 # Quality Meals 😋
This is the best thing I love about this tribe we love homemade food that's hygienic and nourishing, we love soups like Oha soup, Nsala Soup, and Banga Stew, Igbo's is one tribe that is known to cook delicious and mesmerizing meals that captivate the heart of a Man. smiles.....
👍🏻 # Death of the husband
in the Igbo culture when a woman loses her husband she is subjected to maltreatment, she's subjected to torture accusing her of having hands in her husband's death, and is forced to scrape all her hairs and not wear jewelry till she mourns the deceased one.
this is happening in our tribe to date although it's one way to show respect to her dead husband and avoid looking attractive to other men.
What I dislike...
in one of the traditions is sharing of the properties a woman needs to have a little share from her father's property to help take care of herself and her personal needs because most times when men marry them they fully don't take care of her needs.
and secondly...
when a woman lost her husband she's forced to barb her hair and wear white consume constantly or black till the mourning period is over which is not acceptable by me... the dead is gone and should be mourned normally.
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Sweety this is beautiful and well written well done.
You have told almost all the cultural values of the Igboland and I must say you must be proud to be from there.
Oha soup hehe this is my favorite soup, a week doesn't pass by that I don't make the soup.
Wives shaving their hair when their husband does is something I frown at from the Igbo culture. I really don't like it, but hey, civilization is taking over.
I wish you the best of luck in the contest my dear♥️😅
Oha soup 🍲 woah niceeee 😜
We still have few of them though I just stop here and the issue of shaving their hair is annoying but let's see who will make this tradition stop and yes civilization is taken over but not all tradition or culture will be amended.
Some have bestowed it upon amadioha that anyone that changes it might perish😂
I like the Igbo culture a lot except for the dislikes you mentioned. The communal spirit of the Igbos is very admirable.
Awww my favorite tribe - Igbo 🥰 If I'm giving the chance to switch tribe, it will be igbo 😉
You gave a very well detailed writeup about your tribe, make fall in love with it over again 🤭
Those pictures are so explanatory and it made your post really beautiful.
Please I will come visit someday s you'll prepare oha soup and banga stew for me, I've always wished to have a taste of them.
Well done mum 😘 all the best in the contest.
Awww this is coming from my daughter whom am well pleased 😂
The Oha soup is not so difficult to cook the basic things are the cocoa yam and the leaves other things are minor arrangements... Don't worry I will connect you to an igbo man so you will switch legitimately lol
Thanks for your comment! I appreciate!
Hahaha please connect me o
It's very needed, igbo food continously 😋
Maybe I'll try prepare oha soup someday 😝
Wow! how impressive your post. Delighted to read so much tradition and culture.
It seemed to me that he was reading a storybook, he was traveling and imagining he barely read you ..
A little stunned with that of the father's property upon death, but sooner or later some paradigms are broken.
Beautiful the ritual when getting married.
I liked! I think I want to travel
Thank you for the trip to that beautiful culture.
You did great on your entry @cescajove! Indeed the Igbo culture is a very rich one. I lived in Enugu for a while so I am familiar with some of these cultures.
Like you disagree with your inheritance culture and how women are treated when her husband dies, so do I too! I have heard stories of how harshly widows are treated and it's disheartening. But I believe modernization is gradually softening the situation, right?
Madam! Is that true? I don't believe you on this oo! 😄 Our meals mesmerize hearts too. Don't joke with us! 😅
Kikikikikikikikiki....... you should try the meals nau at least @kenechukwu97 can confirm about that if he says it's a lie then I dunno 😂😂😂
Wow, you really crossed through different customs of your culture. You did an amazing job. Thanks for participating in this contest.
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Gracias I appreciate this alot!
You said it all, nice post
Thanks I appreciate your comment, hope you had a read all of my post and what's it that you don't fancy or likew about the culture?
This is an excellent post, very detailed about all your traditions. I find it very interesting how those improper acts have a "moral" penalty beyond those that may be traditionally known.
I also agree with you that daughters should have their own economic support and not depend exclusively on their husbands.
I don't see why they have to cut their hair if they are in mourning 🙈.
Thank you for sharing such valuable information, a hug 🤗
Gracias miriannalis for this awesome comment am glad you get to see reason in this tradition of ours... I'm happy you stated it out that daughters shouldn't fully depend on hubby but should have a thing she can do to help herself!
As for the mourning, I think civilization will erode it gently.
Yes, hopefully certain customs can improve with time, especially in favor of women. In my country we women are very independent and many of us carry on our families alone. I don't know if this is really better, because it is always good to have support and to be taken care of, but I find it more profitable because I see more opportunity in this.
Success in the contest ✨