Contest| Celebrating Grand Festivals: Share the Most Iconic Festival of Your City or Country
We all have festivals and the kind of festival that's celebrated in our region depends on the religious background of the people in the environment. I am an Ibibio man, and Ibibio people are found in Akwa Ibom state Nigeria. There are festivals celebrated here, but I want to share one with you. The Ekpo masquerade festival.
Screenshot from a video
The Ekpo masquerade is a religion in the Ibibio land, but the vast majority of the Ibibio people don't partake in this religion but view it as entertainment.
It all begins with the belief that there's an invincible spirit force that lives in the forest that can interact with the humans, the ancestral spirits. So they worship these spirits and perform some acts to appease these spirits annually.
The Ekpo masquerade came to the minds of the Ibibio in their search for good governance, and they believed that if the ancestors returned and took part in government, things would matter. So they began some incantation and spiritistic practices.
They would perform induction of people who wanted to become members of the Ekpo religious group.
Screenshot from a video
Once every leap year, this religious group will have its festival where masquerades would be seen outside. They will dance and perform incantation and spiritistic practices. They will offer Animal sacrifices to appease their ancestors.
They have the Mother Masquerade, in whom all the masquerades would be protecting because they believe should she fall or something happen to her, they will all die.
They have a wild masquerade that is violent. So once every leap year, they will carry out this festival.
Civilization has curtailed the level at which this festival is Celebrated. In the time past, people were violently injured as a result of this festival. The Ekpo masquerade used their machetes to injure others, but this adverse part of the Ekpo masquerade is curtailed and it's more like a cultural entertainment now.
The majority don't celebrate the festival because of its spiritistic nature, and I am among those who don't celebrate the Ekpo masquerade.
Thank you!
I am inviting @vickmoon, @usherray and @daprado1999 to participate.
Cc: @deepak94
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