All over the world different families are earmarked by one kind tradition or the other. Some families don't have any and they just go with the flow. Family traditions are unique characteristic features that members of a family engage in which breeds togetherness and fosters love between family members.
In Nigeria, it is not uncommon to discover that several families might have one or two traditions that they judiciously maintain and service without fail. Most times these family traditions transcend beyond families to a whole community and even to a particular geographical sector.
I hail from the Eastern part of Nigeria and from the handed down knowledge of family traditions, it is a must for every member of the family to converge at their hometown at the end of the year, that is in the month of December. This is more especially for those who are making their livelihoods in other geographical zones of the country.
If you have met an individual from the Eastern part of Nigeria, you will understand what I am trying to convey. We Easterners have been so indoctrinated to always want to travel back home towards the end of the year. Coincidentally, those trips align with the Christmas and new year celebrations and it is celebrated together.
We would stay in different cities, work for money, save it up only to use the money to go and "flex in the village" as the tradition of families demand. Funny fact is that no matter how harsh the economic condition of the country, it cannot hinder an Easterner from travelling down to the village for these celebrations, festivals and village meetings.
My family tradition is no different from what I have explained earlier. I and my siblings and parents always travel down to the village from the 20th of December, spend the holidays till the second week of January before we then make a return journey back to our resident state. We did this from as far back as I could remember and till date that tradition still stands.
I recall that the major purpose of these trips to the village is for the family members to meet, appraise their achievements for the year and seek solutions to whatever problems that any member might be facing. When that is done, then comes the exchange of gifts from uncles and aunts to the kids available after that comes lots of fun and enjoyment.
Due to my families religious background, we were not allowed to join the village festivals due to the idol worship practices. Other than this, the experiences gained from visiting the village is enriching.
It was on one of such visits to the village that I learnt how to harvest yams and the names of some vegetables with their herbal functions. This wealth of knowledge has been of great help to me especially in times of ill health as I know which herbs to cook for treatment.
Discard this tradition
There is also another tradition that some Eastern families practice that my family has discarded and that tradition is pertaking in New yam festival. Many families from the East irrespective of where they currently reside try their utmost to pertake of this festival. They would wait until the festival has been done in the village befire they would begin to eat yams.
I am glad my family does not pertake in this because I love eating yams a lot due to its varieties and I would not want to wait for one "gods" to bless the yam before I can begin eating it. As far as I know, humans have dominion to eat what we want, when we to. All the gods should please find a job to do and stop placing a time boundary on when one can eat something or not.
I pen down here. Thank you all for reading. This is my participation for the day 27 #mayinleo and #hivenaija collaboration.
Happy children's day!
Images used are mine.