EGUNGUN FESTIVAL

Masquerade dances and festivals are common in many parts of Nigeria, but among the Yoruba of the southwest region, there are but few occasions more colorful than the annual egungun festival during which the ethnicity ancestors, progenitors, and other illustrious person's now deceased are commemorated by the people.

Egungun festival is usually holds in the month of May across key cities in ogun state, Lagos State, and other parts of Yoruba land, the spirit of the ancestors represent by various colorfully clad masquerades make thyself visible to the world of mortals. Among the natives egungun festival present an opportunity for the dead who are widely held in most African societies as being able to influence the affairs of the living to reunite with their families and friends. Egungun may represent specific name of deceased individual or family names.

The festival is a week long events. And these events attract thousands of visitors and tourists as they would any major occasion. The magnificent egungun masquerade take various design forms depending on the ancestors or god being represented, but all wear ceremonial wooden masks as an assestial part of their regalia. Through 7day festival masquerade parade through the street and bestow blessings upon the land and people they encounter. The 7th day all performance is been done in the kings palace and it's been concluded by the oba (king). At the end of the conclusion all masquerades return to their realm, and will not be seen again until another festival a year later.

As one said can we find alien in most of these, I said I don't actually know about black magic but things do happen. Thanks for reading, follow @theob for more Africa stories.

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