New Year’s Day is a worldwide celebration that takes place on the first day of every year as stipulated by the Julian calendar.
However, the ancient Nigerians have observed feasts days with the cycle of the sun and moon. So, they seemed to have always known when to celebrate a new year with this method.
New Year’s Day has a worldwide history and there only a few we hear about. People all over the world tend to engage in delightful activities the night before which is the New Year’s Eve.
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In Nigeria, it is a tradition to spend the day with friends and family while practising many unique cultures.
They go to church, throw fireworks together and also eat together. There are hundreds of local dishes that could be enjoyed on that day. But for some reason, rice became the most significant food to celebrate the day with.
Sometimes, the locals around small Nigerian villages organise events to entertain family and friends that travelled from the cities to be with them.
By so doing, they also generate money for their group members and get people coming from the cities to invest in cultural activities. These are some of the best traditions that Nigerians practices on New Year’s Day.
Historical New Year’s Day Celebration in Nigeria
- Burning old car tires on the streets signify sending away the evils of the last year to welcome the spirits of the new year.
- Local Wrestling is a significant event for many small communities in Nigeria as it is a way to share unity between neighbouring villages. Two villages in different localities agree to a match where men from both villages wrestle to see who is strongest. In the past, it was more a competition than it is a celebratory activity where the winner gets a woman as his price.
- Church Dramas are often organised to encourage spirituality during the festivities. While some churches like to present theirs on Christmas Day, others set it for New Year’s Day.
- Local Football Matches are also like the wrestling match that is organised for peace. The sport brings together people from different localities they became the people’s favourites over time. Most people return home from the cities just to watch the match in their birth homes. Church football teams also participate in these football matches.
- Local Community Dances are usually presented in town squares in the villages in Nigeria. The country has a diverse culture so one can not expect to see the same dance throughout. Every local and small community have major dancing styles which they use to entertain family and friends returning from the cities. Kids and teenagers organise theirs differently and they are usually the best ones.
