Steem engagement challenge-S12/W6|"The grand festival in my country."

Hello friends welcome to my blog and the week's challenge topic grand festival in my country. We all come from different countries having different cultures and traditions in its uniqueness. Let's see how it goes from my side.

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A festival is a well organized event bringing people from all corners of the globe who feel connected to enjoy the presentation of musics, drama, dances, food and other items. Festivals are done at any time of the year depending on the country and the values they share. Before I continue I wish to invite @ngoenyi, @ninapenda and @chasad75 to partake in the contest

What is the grand festival in your country, and how do you celebrate that festival?(Mention some rituals if you follow)

I am Clautilda Tengu Atanga from Cameroon in found in central Africa. Cameroon is a country with many ethnic groups and villages speaking different vaniculars. I am from the north west region and precisely momo division Mbengwi. Yes I am a meta indigene. Cameroon as a country doesn't have a unique cultural festival since we have different villages, cultures and traditions binding us. There exist so many festivals like Easter celebration, Christmas, cultural festival celebration in my country Cultural festivals are been done at regional or village level. Cultural festivals are always done during the dry season precisely December or march since it is the easy for people to carryout activities without hindrances from rain. In this post I will dwell on the cultural festival celebration in my region Bamenda.

Growing up as a child I always heard of the cultural festivals taking place in the village. The festivals in Mbengwi had names respecting the village name like MECUDA, BADA, KUKUDA, MBECUDA, NJICUDA, BECUDA, NGIECUDA, NGYENCUDA, GUCUDA etc. MECUDA is the most common/known cultural festival in my village and embodies all the other festivals which is done every year.

I have attended quite a number of festivals in my village and neighboring villages as well. These cultural festivals are a means for the indigens of the area to reconnect to their roots, show case their culture in every dimension. The last one I attended was last December 2022 which took place at the Nkwen Fon's palace from 27-29 December. The festival named FEHACU brought together people from different villages to witnessed and show case beautiful cultures in the form of traditional meals, traditional dances, arts and crafts work and many others. I was part of the event as an exhibitor for some arts and crafts work.

At the start of activities all indigens had a peaceful march with the Fon of Nkwen from theile 4 river to the palace then the festival started fully. Rituals were done in closed doors by the Fon and Fon's ride inside the ritual room in the palace for 30 minutes before the fin kick started the activities. Speeches were present by the hierarchies present like the governor, presentation of traditional dances were done, traditional fashion parade, music pieces by artists were presented in the vanicular, dramas in the vanicular and horse rides by the Mbororo community. It's was so amazing and fun filled with all the activities. While they were at the activities people took out time to visit the various exhibition stands to enjoy the cultural presentation in arts and crafts and traditional meals. Then Fon and entourage also took a tour round the stands to enjoy the beauty presented.

• Traditional dances: there were dances like the Nkwen, princesses dances, Mbanbalong and others. neighbouring villages had the chance to present theirs as well..

A collage of traditional dance presentations

• Traditional meals: Food items presented was strictly cultural from the north west region like achu and yellow soup, achu and black soup, nang tare, yam and ground paste, patched corn and ground nuts, fufu corn, vegetables and kati kati and many other food recipes

A collage of traditional dance presentations

• Arts and crafts: the picture below show different times of artistic work present for exhibition during the festival.

• Music presentation: artist of the region and village were privileged to present musics in the vanicular during the festival as seen in the collage picture below

The event was a great and it ended with prize awards to the best participants during the event aimed at encouraging them for more commitment into building peace in the region and village.

Would you love to go on a vacation during this festive period, or would you love to stay in your country and celebrate the festival with your family? Give the reason behind your choice

Actually I live in my country presently and so will take out the chance to attend any festival in any village I find myself in Cameroon. But December has been kepts specially for my own village festival enjoyment. It's a time for me to learn more about my culture and connect to my roots. So I can't travel to another country during this festival except I am left with no choice like work or health issues.

Share with us if you have any memorable moments related to the festival

This festival was really impacting as it was all about bring peace again to my home town. Since 2016 Bamenda have not had peace because of the anglophone crisis we have here and so communal activities were shutdown. In 2021 the several fons in Bamenda decided to unit the people through the festival celebration. It was a great one as it saw people come from far to attend and reconnect with their families. This festival reminded me so much of my village celebration as everything was almost done the same and it connected me go my village making me anxious to attend the next this December in my village Mbengwi.

Our cultural festivals are so important as it helps us understand andconnect with ourselves, our fellow clan members, our origin, customs and traditions. It also enables us to appreciate nature as it is. Iove my culture so and and would love to learn more of it each passing day.

THANK YOU MY FRIENDS