The beautiful and the not-so-beautiful traditions.

My grandfather initiated a particular ritual before his demise. He ensured that all members of the family attend an annual family meeting which has over the years contributed tremendously to the growth of my family and has fostered the love that we have for one another. I am from a large extended family, and honestly, I didn’t know how large my family was until my grandfather initiated that ritual. Till now, this tradition has been one of those I really look forward to attending because at the meetings, we would have fun, celebrate birthdays, and no one would be left out, even the toddlers.

Also, I get to experience motherhood without actually having any kid of my own yet because the relationship I developed with the younger ones of the family got me the role of their second mum. Lol. This is just to describe the relevance of grandpa’s ritual to fostering the love we share in the family.

I didn’t know how important homegoing during the festive season was for my dad until a particular year when my brothers didn’t show up. It was like heaven would fall. It was after that I realized that festive season is one of the times I had a lot more fun because I get to see my distant cousins, aunts, uncles, and friends. So, it’s a time that my dad didn’t want us to be absent from.

There was a school where I worked as a teacher. The relationship among the staff was like that of a family, however, we couldn’t continue to work there as we all needed to find our path and move forward in life, so we initiated a tradition. Every year during the annual Muslim festival, we would gather at one of the staff’s houses to celebrate, merry, laugh and talk about life in general. It’s been almost ten years, and this time of the year has been one of those times I look forward to. It’s almost time for another one, and I’m excited already.

My community traditions

There are celebrations in my community that have started to go into extinction but are still in practice. However, I wouldn’t say I look forward to them not been celebrated anymore, but I wish there could be some modifications that would make it bearable and accessible to everyone where no life will be at risk.

I grew up in a community where sacred masquerades are celebrated at least once a year. These sacred masquerades can only be seen by the community men. Even strangers that are men are not allowed to watch them. Growing up, it used to be fun because for the whole 3-7 days that they would be out, I would be indoors with my family eating, playing in our not-too-small compound and skipping school. But now that I’m grown, I think it is one of those that should be modified to be more accommodating and less scary.

One day last year, I had an emergency to attend to. I had forgotten that it was time of the year when the annual ‘agemo’ festival was to begin. It’s a tradition that’s celebrated in July of every year where some sacred masquerades from about 16 communities gather in my hometown to celebrate. There are times when women can watch them, however, most times, women dare not peep. The situation I was in was so intense that I completely forgot, so, I headed out. The only reminder I needed was how scanty the park was. The women selling things were nowhere to be found, everything seemed slow, the sky was angrily roaring like it would devour the earth. In the process of wondering what could be wrong, a passerby reminded me of what day it was. I didn’t even hesitate to go back home.

There is the season of the masquerades in my community where different kinds of them are out. They dance, they eat, they parade around the town, and many kids follow them around. I liked to watch them dance and talk though. It’s so fun. These ones can be seen by everyone irrespective of gender or status in the community. This is one tradition that is still being actively practised in my community.

All images are mine.

This is my entry to #inleo prompt for today. The topic is Which family traditions do you celebrate? Which annual rituals or events take place in your town that you like to take part of? Do you know celebrations from other communities that you admire or find interesting? Which ones do you think should stop? You can also join here

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