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Customs & Traditions

Customs and traditions are terms which are often used together. However a number of the people do not know the difference between customs and traditions and perhaps do not know what these words fully mean.

When a particular thing or a particular activity is continuously done and it becomes common to a certain group of people, which can be a family, party, community or even a country it becomes a customs. It is considered the appropriate manner of behavior or conduct widely accepted by the people it is common to. A custom can be anything and it can be started at anytime. Customs are sometimes not obeyed and is considered irrelevant by a few people in a group, but as long as the majority of the people in that group considers acceptable and commonly practices it, it is still a custom.

A custom is what transforms into a tradition. A tradition is a custom that has been followed for so many and is being passed on to younger generations. A custom can only be practiced by a particular generation for a certain period of time and it ceases to be a custom whenever it's stopped. Now when customs are passed on from one generation to the younger ones keeps going in the same trend it is now a tradition.

Culture

Culture entails the full life pattern of a man. Living pattern ranging from music, marriage, food, religion, clothing, art, etc. Culture explains the characteristics of a particular group of people (tribe, country, etc). These characteristics includes what we wear and how we wear it, what we eat and how we prepare it, the kind of crafts we make, our religios practices etc. A man without a culture is like a man without an origin, because our culture is what makes who we are.

Diversity in Nigerian cultures

Diversity in cultures refers to having respect for and acknowledging every culture & cultural belief in the country, regardless of the differences between the people's beliefs and pattern of Life. A diverse society supports every member, and creates a room for everyone to contribute to the fostering of the society, there is no discrimination.

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Nigerian is a country known for it's diverse cultures, the country is considered one of the countries with very rich and diverse cultures on the planet. There are over 521 widely spoken languages in the country, with over 1150 dialects and ethnic groups in the country. There are four major ethnic groups which are also the largest. These are the Hausa and Fulani who dominate in the northern part of the country, the southeast dominated by the Igbo, and the Yoruba who dominate in the Southwest region of the country. Aside these four there are other ethic groups, like the Edo people, the ibibio, efik, Anang who are dominant in the the coastal southern part of the country, and the Niger Delta. There are so many other ethnic groups spread around the country.

Differences in the Nigerian Cultures

The way of life of various Nigerians is similar in so many ways, however there are also differences which can be seen among different tribes. Theelse differences include but are not limited to the following;

1. Language:

Every one of the many ethics groups in nigeria has it's own language(s). For example, the Fulani speaks fulfude, the Yoruba speaks Yoruba and the Igbo speaks Igbo.

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2. Dressing:

One thing you could use to spot or identify people of certain tribes are their cultural attires. The Igbo men wears a long caftan known as ishiaguand ties a piece of wrapper while the women put on a blouse and ties two pieces of wrapper round the waist. The Yoruba men put on agbada and buba. The Hausa men wear babariga while the women put on clothings which completely covers there body.

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3. Music and Dance:

There are various types of drums all over Nigeria. These include the Yoruba talking drum, the Hausa kannago. The apala music is the traditional music of the Yoruba. Adje and opiri are the two kinds of music peculiar to the Urhobo people. The Edo plays ema music. Music and dance goes together for instance, the atilogwu dance and Nkwa umu agbogho dance which are very important dances in the Igbo land. Drums and music are played for important occasions only, which include funerals, marriages, coronation ceremonies and other traditional festivals.

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4. Body beautification:

Facial and other body marks differ from one place to another. A person's ethnic group or family can be identified by the marks on the person's face. For example three straight marks on one cheek identify the Oyo People of Yoruba land.

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5. Work of arts:

This includes local weaving, carvings, sculpture, pottery, painting and other art works vary from place to place. For example the calabash carving in Yoruba land is different from that of the Hausa land.

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6.Ways of showing Respect:

All over Nigeria greeting is regarded as a sign of respect however there are some other ways of showing respect. Igbo young men bow before elders, while the elders tap the shoulders of the young men in return. Yoruba men prostrate, while the women kneel before elders. Young Hausa men crouch when greeting their eldrrs. Respect generally in Nigeria also involves not calling the elders by their names.

7. Behavioural pattern:

The behavior of the various tribes is not always the same. Though some behaviors are generally adopted, some are not. What is considered a taboo in the south may not be considered a taboo in the north.

Similarities in Nigerian Cultures

1.Every Nigerian culture has their own traditional religious practices.

2.The various ethnic groups in Nigeria all have their own chieftaincy institution.

3.The same clothings are worn by sometimes two or more ethnic groups.

4.Some members of a particular tribe can speak the language(s) of others. For instance you can find an Igbo man speaking Hausa and Yoruba language as well as Igbo language.

5.Some languages have certain words in common. For example certain words in Igbo and Yoruba language are the same.