Festivities: Childhood Nostalgia

         

 Days before Eid, we would make our hair, get our clothes and shoes ready, and clean the house. On the eve, we would spread our clothes neatly on the chair with the new shoes and accessories. Then  First thing in the morning, dressed up in our Sallah clothes usually the native first, we would call the photographer to come and take pictures of us. 

After which we would follow my dad to “yidi” praying ground, usually with thousand other followers, my dad would always be in a  hurry so we could meet up with the prayers and get to the praying ground on time. Then the prayers would be led by the chief Imam who had his own style of reciting, especially the surat’ ul Fatiha, in a song-like tone. After the prayers, we would then wait behind to wave at the Emir and the governor’s procession with people chanting ‘shehu’ ‘Shehu with their fists thrown up in the air.

During the big Eid, we would go to my grandma’s house, where an uncle gives us paper caps with Barka de Sallah printed on it, and plastic shades ‘Goggles’ and we would be handed mint naira notes, usually ten nairas, as our “owo odun” Sallah money. Then the ram will be slaughtered by the men while the women prepare for the cooking and frying. 

One of the highlights for me was usually when the ram was ready and we had to take food to people’s houses, Neighbors, Family, and friends. This is where we made money sometimes we made as much as 1000 naira each and so we would fight over who takes food and to where because some people were just too stingy, they don’t give at all or gave meager amounts.

So after all the chores on Sallah day, we would "Kiri odun" which literally means 'hawk Sallah' to family and friends houses to spend time with them. These good memories made my childhood fun.