HOLIDAYS

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HOLIDAYS

Since there are 2 main religions in Nigeria, there are a combination of Christian and Muslim holidays (as well as holidays not based on either one). The descriptions below signify how they are celebrated in Nigeria, not necessarily in every nation that celebrates them. You'll note that there are sometimes differences in the names for these Muslim holidays, but the first one indicated is the one that is used in Nigeria. I want to thank the The Interfaith Calendar for their assistance with finding the significance of the Muslim holidays. For the most part, people who don't really 'mark' the holiday because it is not their faith may or may not celebrate it as described. Many just enjoy the time off.

The following is an attempt to list the holidays in a somewhat chronological order, and give a short description of their purpose. However, some holidays do not fall on fixed days of the year. For more information about religious holidays, please search on sites that are dedicated to them.

HOLIDAY	WHEN	SIGNIFICANCE	HOW CELEBRATED
New Year's Day	January 1	To celebrate the new year.	Some people stay at home and pray, reflecting on the past year and making resolutions for the new year. Some people (instead, or in addition) make it very festive and have many parties. I believe that fireworks are lit in some areas.
Good Friday	A Friday in March/April	Christian holiday to signify the day that Christ was crucified.	Usually spent in Church. It is a quiet and pensive holiday
Easter Sunday	Sunday after Good Friday	Christian holiday to celebrate Easter, the day after Christ arose from the dead to fulfill the prophecy.	It is a joyous occasion, and is celebrated with feast, dancing, drumming, picnicing, and sometimes there are masquerades and dancers for public viewing.
Easter Monday	The day (Monday) after Easter Sunday
Eid-El-Fitri/ 'Id al-Fitr	2 days around April	Muslim holiday that marks the close of Ramadan and gives thanks to Allah for enjoying the month of Ramadan. The Ramadan is the month during which the Quran was revealed, and is the 9th month in the Islamic calendar.	The Emirs and their subjects gather for prayers at the praying-grounds, then at the end they ride their horses back to the palace with drummers and entertainers. Once they reach the palace, th Emir watches the District Heads and subjects perform the *Durbar*, which is a salute to the Emir. After the Durbar, the Emir reads his address. Then, there is usually eating, drinking (non-alcoholic), and partying among the families.
Worker's Day	May 1	A holiday for workers.	Workers and labor union members perform a rally and listen to the labor address
Children's Day	May 27	A holiday for school children.	Kids stay home and play
Eid-El-Kabir/ Al-'id al-Kabir/ Eid al-Adha	2 days around June	Muslim holiday that marks the end the Hajj season, which is the time of year when Muslims should make their pilgrimage to Mecca (the Muslim holy land).	Muslims kill rams to mark it. Also, in the north, there may also be a colorful durbar (remember above?), a horse race, and other entertainment.
Eid-El-Maulud/ Maulid El-Nabi	1 day around September	Muslim holiday to celebrate the birthday of Mohammed in 571 c.e.	Muslims pray in the Mosques, then people go back to their homes. Those who can afford to give alms to the poor. In some parts of the North, there is also a durbar festival.
Independence Day	October 1	National holiday to celebrate Nigeria's independence which was obtained in 1960.	There is no work or school on this day. There are special ceremonies at parade grounds that are open to the public, and others that are by invitation only. Also, a lot of people use this opportunity to go to other attractions.
Christmas Day	December 25	Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ.	Families get together both in the towns and the villages, during the time preceding Christmas (however, Christmas Eve is not as big an ordeal as it is in some other countries, like America). On Christmas day itself, Christians go to Church for services. Afterwards, most people celebrate with dancing, drumming, and feasting. (Because I've been asked this a lot, I will mention that customs like Santa Claus, the Christmas Tree, the wreath, the giving of gifts, the mistletoe, the yulelog, etc. are not really part of the Nigerian Christmas celebration, but of course, there has been some influence)
Boxing Day	December 26th or December 27th		This is kind of used as an extension of the Christmas holiday, and people use it to go to places like the beaches, the picnic points, and other attractions. In addition, there are also sometimes dancers and masquerades on the streets.

Of course, we also celebrate other days like Mother's Day, Father's Day, etc., we just don't get time off work/school for them (probably partly because they fall on a Sunday).

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