Hello Hivians
How are you all doing?
One thing I like about cultural festival is that each country has something to say about it. There's no country that doesn't celebrate a festival in their land and the fun part of it, is that many people get to attend it.
I believe festivals is a means to bring people together in order for them to remember their culture and the land they came from.
Nigeria is a country filled with different tribes and each tribes have one particular thing they celebrate that makes them unique and different from every other cultures. Some of the tribes in Nigeria include the Igbos, Yorubas and so many more. I'm from the Igbo speaking tribe and I love my culture so much
We celebrate different kinds of festival such as the New Yam festival and Ine festival. The New Yam festival is well known by the Igbos but the one that is more unique and cherished is the INE festival.
I have never attended Ine festival before even when I had the opportunity to do so, I just couldn't because of the kinds of rituals that is being performed during the festival. Since I haven't been to the festival, I won't be able to give a detailed information about it but the little I know, I will explain to everyone here.
Ine festival is usually celebrated every September, it is used to mark the success of the Isele-Uku people. The Isele-Uku people are known for their great effort towards farming and trading. After new year festival, the INE festival is then used to mark the success of everyone in the community.
During this period, all the chiefs will be available and on the day of the festival, the chiefs will have to assemble at the palace where the King will mark their body with white chalk. The chiefs and their wives will have to be on white attire and the white signifies purity.
After the king has marked the chiefs with white chalk, they will have to match out of the palace dancing to the traditional music which will be lead by the king. At the festival, you get to see the king dancing in his funny moves, many people do attend the festival and at that time, people get to show how happy they're.
One funny thing about this festival is that when the king is purifying the community with the white chalk by blowing it into the air, at this period, if the chalk touches any lady, she will automatically become his wife 🤣, funny right? That is the main reason I refused attending the festival. But I was told that they no longer practice such, though the INE festival is still much celebrated but the aspect of becoming the king's wife when the chalk touches you is not being practiced again.
I hope you enjoyed my little story about my cultural festival?