harvest
festivals and betrothal festivals, to the investing of a
new chief and funerals. It seems odd to Western ways of
thinking to see a funeral as something to be celebrated.
But for many of the tribes, death means joining the
ancestors, and so the deceased must get a good send-off.
The dances
that were once performed by members of each village have
now been taken over by professional troupes, who tour
villages performing at each local festival.
The Muslim
year revolves around the three major festivals, Id Al
Fitri, Id Al Kabir, and Id Al Maulud. The main event in
the Islamic calendar is the festival that celebrates the
end of Ramadan. Ramadan is a month-long observation of
fasting. During the hours of sunlight no one must eat or
drink; some very religious people will not even swallow.
Each evening at dusk is a celebration of sorts, as the
family prepares to break the fast. In towns people do so
by going out to one of the markets, where stallholders
will be prepared for the hungry people. At the end of
Ramadan there is a celebration, which varies in style
among the different Muslim tribes.
The
Christian calendar is also celebrated, chielfy in the
south of the country. Christian groups have moved closer
to the rituals of their indigenous religions when
celebrating Christian festivals.
The Arugungu Fishing Festival
This
colorful annual festival takes place in
Arugungu,("ar-GOON-goo"), a riverside town in
Kebbi State,
about 64
miles from Sokoto. The leading tourist attraction in the
area, the festival originated in Aug. 1934, when the
late Sultan Dan Mu’azu made an historic visit. In
tribute, a grand fishing festival was organized. Since
then, it’s become a celebrated yearly event held between
Feb. and March. During the festival, hundreds of local
men and boys enter the water, armed with large fishnet
scoops.
They are
joined by canoes filled with drummers, plus men rattling
huge seed-filled gourds to drive the fish to shallow
waters. Vast nets are cast and a wealth of fish are
harvested, from giant Nile Perch to the peculiar Balloon
Fish. Furthermore there’s canoe racing, wild duck
hunting, bare-handed fishing, diving competitions and
naturally, swimming. Afterwards, there is drinking,
singing and dancing into the night.
The
festival marks the end of the growing season and the
harvest. A one mile (1.6 kilometer) stretch of the
Argungu River is protected throughout the year, so that
the fish will be plentiful for this 45-minute fishing
frenzy.
About 5,000
men take part, armed with hand nets and a large gourd.
During the alloted time, they fight for the fish in the
river. Nile perch weighing up to 140 pounds (63.5 kg)
are pulled out of the river, and the biggest are offered
to the local Emirs who organize the festival. This
festival began in the 1930s and has captured the
nation's interest. It now includes many other events,
such as canoe races and diving competition.
and which are still occasions for masquerade and dance.
The local festivals cover an enormous range of events,
from