EDO DAY - OUR CULTURE

On this day we celebrated Edo day here in Nigeria. These pictures were taken during the celebration and I am pleased and happy to share my culture and personal life to the whole users here on steemit.

This is my friend and I dressed in Edo attire. Although I am not fully dressed because my beads are not on my neck.
The beads signifies authority.

What is Edo day?

Edo day is a day set aside every year to celebrate the culture, existence and belief of the Edos. All indigenes of Edo come together in unity, and prominent people of Edo ( like the chiefs and elders would be invited to teach and lecture the youth about the culture, its origin and how we started)

We all know that the youths of nowadays are less concerned about their culture and this is the primary reason for Edo day. To make sure our culture and beliefs still live on.

I know you will be wondering what is Edo and what country is that from, but don't worry as i would break it down for you. So keep reading!

Now let me tell you what Edo is

My beautiful friend in her Edo attire. Can you see how beauful and presentable our culture is?

Edo is a state in Nigeria and the capital of Edo is Benin city (the great city ruled by OBA). It has a population of about 8million people. Edo is made up of four ethnic groups which are the BINIS, ESAN, ETSAKO AND OWAN. Edo has a great history as to the colonisation of the british and it has high residence of foreigners.

So now you can see how great the Edos are? Winks!

Now back to the Edo day.

This are some of the Edos fully dressed in their attire. I snapped this picture myself on this beautiful day.
Can you see how beautiful and united we are?

The Edo day was fun-filled as there were enough drinks and food to eat.
On this day all the different ethnic groups came together to celebrate one big day and this signifies unity, peace and love among our people.

Drama was acted by my friends and music was sang. Also important and heart felt speeches were made.

There is always this argument between the Edos and the Yorubas.
The Yorubas will claim that Edo was founded from them. What a misconception! Probably because we have some similar names.
But one of the chiefs explained it better to us and told us it is NOT TRUE.

The chiefs and elders of Edo who educated us on that very day.

The Yorubas and Edos share boundaries and there is tendency for the men and women who go to farms to interact, meet and marry each other.
During this process of farming, the Yorubas may have interest in the culture of the Edos and decide to give their child Edo name and vice versa. So this is the reason why the Yorubas and Edos have similar names together.

NOW LET ME TAKE YOU THROUGH EDO FOOD

We have different types of food, very delicious and extremely rich in nutrient

1. Black Soup (Omoebe)
   
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This soup is nothing like the ancient Spartan soup made of boiled pigs’ legs, blood, salt and vinegar. Most certainly the most popular Edo food, the Black soup, locally referred to as Omoebe soup, is a tasty meal made from a combination of local herbs and spices. The name comes from the colour of the soup, as the vegetables used – Bitter leaf and Effirin (Scent Leaf) – when grounded gives off a very dark colour, and the fact that the banga sauce (Palm fruit sauce) rather than the palm oil itself is used, reduced the chances of colour. The Black soup is as nutritious as it is tasty. The herbs used are quite therapeutic and it is a good option for those on a diet as it can help reduce calories. Black soup is easy to make and best prepared at home, and It is best served with Pounded Yam, Eba or starch.If you are visiting Edo state and you want to have a teste of this local delicacy, you will find it in the menu of most restaurant in Edo state, especially Benin City.

1. Bini Owo Soup
   
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Named after Owo, a fairly large town about seventy miles north of Benin, Owo soup is one of the oldest dishes prepared and eaten by the Edo people. While the meal is believed to have originated from Benin, there are variations of it listed as indigenous meals of people from surrounding southern states. Unlike most Nigerian soups which are cooked with vegetables like spinach, greens, fluted pumpkin leaves e.t.c., Owo soup is usually thick and bare. It also requires Potash (okawu or kan) which is a rare ingredient for soups in Nigeria. Most who has enjoyed this meal tend to refer to it as stew rather than stew, especially as it is mostly served with unripe plantain or yam, rather than Eba or pounded yam. The soup is best prepared with Smoked Fish, Prawns and Bush meat (optional). It is also cooked and served in well-polished earthenware pots.

1. Corn Soup
   
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Omi Ukpoka, generally known as Corn soup, is a meal common with the Afemai people, mainly from Agenebode in northern Edo state. Made with ground dry corn, smoked fish and a range of herbs (uda, uziza, African nutmeg), it has a very unique aroma that is inviting to the taste buds. The soup is best cooked and eaten at once as the corn tends to thicken further when cool. Due to its high carbohydrate content, it is not recommended for people on a diet. Corn soup is mostly served with pounded yam. But it can also be served with Eba, Fufu and Semo-vita.

1. Omisagwe (Groundnut soup)
   
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Similar to Miyan Taushe (a delicacy from Northern Nigeria) and Satay Sauce (an Asian sauce), Groundnut soup is a very popular meal in Edo state and possibly the tastiest of the Edo meals. A perfect blend of sweet and savory, the soup is made with groundnuts (peanuts), tomato and onion as the base, and can be considerably varied with chicken, beef or fish and different leaf vegetables as well as local seasoning for extra flavor. The soup is most common amongst Etsakor people in Edo state. If you have tasted other Nigerian meals and found them a little overwhelming, you might want to try again with groundnut soup as it most certainly should be the starting point for visitors who want to explore the various local dishes. The groundnut taste makes it easier to imbibe the meal. The groundnut soup is usually served with Pounded Yam or starch.

As you can see above that the Edos are blessed with so many delicious food.
Mind you, those are not the only food we have. We have other varieties of food too.

I am proud to be an Edo