Festivals in Nigeria

There are many Festivals in Nigeria, some of which date to the period before the arrival of the major religions in this ethnically and culturally diverse society. The main Muslim and Christian festivals are often celebrated in ways that are unique to Nigeria or unique to the people of a locate a Gaya The Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation has been working with the states to upgrade the traditional festivals, which may become important sources of tourism revenue.

Christians account for about 40% of the Nigerian population, living throughout the country but predominantly in the south. The main Christian festivals are Christmas and Easter. The way in which these holidays are celebrated often incorporates traditions from earlier religions.

Christmas is held on 25 December each year to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It is a public holiday in Nigeria. In Igboland, in addition to a church service and distribution of gifts the festivities may include Mmo (masquerade) dancing, where men in their twenties or thirties dress in colorful costumes and wear masks. These masquerades, which pre-date the introduction of Christianity, honor the ancestral spirits. In some areas, palm branches are hung inside and outside the houses, signs of peace and symbols of Christmas. Easter is held to commemorate the crucification of Jesus Christ on Good Friday and to celebrate his resurrection three days later on Easter Sunday. It is a public holiday in Nigeria. Easter usually occurs in April. Easter Sunday is a joyful occasion, celebrated with feasting, dancing, drumming, and sometimes with public masquerades and dancers.

Christmas and Easter may be times of heightened tension between Christians and Muslims in some areas. On Christmas Eve in 2010 at least 38 people were killed, including shoppers and church attendees. Members of the extreme Islamist sect Boko Haram were blamed for several incidents. Some reports placed the death toll as high as 80. In 2011, Easter occurred just after elections in which Goodluck Jonathan, a southerner and Christian, had been elected President. Churches were burned in some parts of northern Nigeria, and some Christians were killed in post-election violence.

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