Enjoy our cultural performances by our local community and some of our traditional cultural events. We would like more contributions from the community. So please send us any videos, pictures from your country.
ESI Festival, Fugar, Edo State, Nigeria
The ESI Festival is celebrated in Avhianwu Clan at the beginning of the Agricultural Harvest season of the four Clans that make up Avhianwu namely ( Uralokhor Imhakhena or Ogbona, Arua and Unone)
Uralokhor are the first to celebrate the ESI Festival usually around early August. It is usually a two day celebration which coincides with the Harvest of New yam or thanksgiving
Imhakhena or Ogbona are next and they will choose their date of celebration usually 9 days after Uralokhor has celebrated their ESI.
FUGAR is made up of Arua and Unone they carry out a joint celebration again 9 days after Imhakhena has concluded theirs.
The festival is celebrated in any of the above villages only when at least one farmer has ”HARVESTED NEW YAM FROM HIS FARM”
Main activities of the day include:
- A masquerade parade and dance round the village.
- Cooking of a special type of soup called omhi- Ire-ire which is eaten with Pounded yam. Also Exchange of visits and gifts especially sharing to the less privileged is performed
- The second day, a different type of Soup called. Omhi-Akphe is cooked and shared.
NOTE: Apologies for the video quality, we will provide a better copy next year.