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Introduction

Calabar Carnival festival is a festival celebrated in Calabar Cross River of Nigeria. The festival is also known as Africa's Biggest Street Party It is an annual carnival in Cross River State, The South-Eastern part of Nigeria.
The programme is always drafted each year by the committee in charge of tourism and cultural activities and each year, new initiatives are always introduced with different topics to drive the carnival.

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When and how it is celebrated?

Calabar Carnival festival started in the year 2004 under the reigns of Governor Donald Duke of Cross River, as a way to promote tourism and improve the local economy of the state. Calabar carnival festival aim's is to include more aspects of local heritage and culture and at the same time strengthen the capacity of the local to participate in an economically beneficial ways.

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Calabar Carnival festival is held every December and was also declared by governor Donald Duke as an activity to mark Christmas celebration. According to him, he said his vision for creating the calabar Carnival festival was to make Cross River state home of tourism and hospitality in Nigeria.

The quality of this festival has keep growing over the years. It has become an international festival and one of the biggest festival in Nigeria, in which most Nigerians are always looking forward to seeing more of this festival. This Carnival used to be one month from 1st December to 31st December. It was later after the reigns of Donald Duke that the next Governor, Benedict Ayade reduced it to two weeks during his reigns.

Which group celebrate it?

This Carnival is celebrated by the South Eastern part of Nigeria.
The people of Cross River state of Nigeria whose state capital is Calabar. That is why the festival is other know as "Calabar Carnival"

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What is its significance?

The significance of this carnival festival is to showcase Africa as the richest continent and also as a blessed place where the young ones should be proud to belong. The calabar carnival has always been a prospect one because different competition usually takes place with huge cash prices and the the calabar carnival has always been a colorful one.

Why do you cherish it so much?

I cherish this carnival festival because, it is not just a fun party, rather there are other activities that make up the carnival festival whih makes it more interesting and educative. Such activities include essay writing competition involving both secondary school and tertiary students. The essay competitions were designed to promote reading culture among the youths of Cross River State as well as inculcating the carnival culture.

There is also a football competition amongst the five competing carnival bands and these bands are distinguish by the color of their uniforms.

The Carnival Festival also includes music performance from both local and international artists making the people of Cross River State to get used to both local and foreign music.

I cherish the carnival festival because the traditional dances and the annual Ekpe Festival, Fashion shows, Beauty pageant, presented yearly, brings in thousands of tourists to our state as well as our community.

Conclusion

The calabar Carnival festival otherwise known as Nigerians'biggest street party is the festival you should not miss. This festival is one of it kind and every member of the community as well as state and country do travel down to the city where this carnival is celebrated so as to witnessed it and as well participate in the carnival. Thousands of tourists also visit the state because of this carnival.
I am using this opportunity to invite you my dear readers to try this carnival for once and you will also want to be a participant of the carnival.

I am grateful to the organizers of this contest for making me being able to introduce this festival to my friends in steemit and readers

Special regards

@nattybongo
@njaywan
@steem-ghana

Written by @udyliciouz