Growing up in Benin was great fun. It was a very communal setting of love and communalism. Christmas in Benin was different from Christmas in other places in Nigeria. The reason is that there were local flavors to savor in Benin during Christmas in those days.
The young boys and girls in Benin in those days found a way of making it unique. This depended on whether you were an “Ajebo” (Rich Kid) or an “Ajegbako” (Poor Kid). There was the “Babuwa” phenomenon. Dressed-up clowns crisscrossed through Benin, singing “Up Babuwa, Up Babuwa, Babuwa Carry Belle, You go School, You no go, You Must to Carry Belle.” This was done with gongs and bands. Parents patronized these clowns to amuse their children; it was a paid service.
Another component of the nomadic entertainers was the different cultural troupes formed by young Benin maidens. They were also patronized by parents to entertain their children.
The Igue Festival
The Igue Festival is the major festival of the Benin Monarch, His Royal Majesty, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II, the Oba of Benin. The Festival has different dimensions, ranging from Chiefs of the different palace societies dancing to the Palace to pay homage to the Oba of Benin, to the grand finale, when the Ewere leaf is taken from the forest, and young boys and girls dance to houses to pray to ward off evil and usher in progress in the New Year.
I urge all Benins around the world to participate in the Igue Festival this year, as doing so will lead to the preservation of our culture. The Igue Festival is a spectacle that resonates with our culture and tradition. Let us make this year’s Igue Festival what it is. We can use it to herald the Benin Cultural Carnival. I see nothing diabolical about the Igue Festival. We have to pass on to the next generation those things that make Benin, Benin.
There was also the masquerade called “Ekpo,” which was dreaded on the streets of Benin. The masquerade was usually placated by giving it a token. The masquerade carried whips and canes, and people hid away from it.
We had various Christmas parties in Benin that made Benin tick. We had the ones organized by the Edo Broadcasting Service, the Independent Television, and the Nigerian Television Authority. We also had private Christmas parties, but I remember vividly the one organized yearly by the owner of Gamla Nigeria Limited and Gejsha Nigeria Limited on Commercial Avenue, GRA, Benin City. It was a blast and was coordinated by the wife of the owner, who was the star teacher in Niger College then. She was chauffeur-driven to school, with the color of the car matching her attire.
There were also several amusement parks and amusement spots. We had the only amusement point still standing till today. The Ogba Zoo, which has been there for decades, has been kept going by the passion of Mr. Andy Ehanire. Let us resume our zoo-going culture in Benin, as picnics are very interesting at the Ogba Zoo.
Another event during Christmas in Benin that resonates with our nostalgia is the different trade fairs and shopping fairs. This ranged from the Edo Trade Fair in Ogbe Igbuya, Ekenwan Road, Benin City, to the EBS Shopping Fair, first at New Lagos Road and later Aduwawa, and the ones by ITV and NTA.
We also decorated our houses with cards, disco lights, and balloons. Edo Broadcasting Service also aired a Christmas special – a blockbuster movie on Christmas Day. That was how we watched the Will Smith movie “Enemy of the State.”
Father Christmas was also a big deal. There was a competition between the EBS, ITV, and NTA Father Christmas. The ITV Father Christmas was, however, the best, being a dancing Father Christmas.
Christmas was also the period when “Akatarians” (Benins in Diaspora) came into town. Those days, it was a thing of pride in Benin to have a family member abroad. When they came during Christmas, they painted the town red with flashy cars and exquisite items. This is, however, no longer the case, as some people at home are doing better than even those abroad.
There was also the practice of kids wearing beautiful clothes with sunglasses to visit neighbors and loved ones. Neighbors used to exchange food, and there was no fear of harm. Benin was a big community where there was love among neighbors.
In essence, Benin is a very accommodating community of people. We miss our Christmas in Benin and we have to bring it back.
