15 Aug 2024
Do you know that expats who live and work abroad send money to Nigeria to their families to celebrate Nigerian festivals in foreign countries? Nigerians are rich in their cultural values and traditions. They celebrate different religions, seasonal celebrations, and social festivals recognized worldwide. Nigeria is the fourth largest country with immigrant populations living abroad. Nearly 1.2 million Nigerians live abroad for various purposes. Most Nigerians live in the UK, and the pollution in the UK is between 500,000 and 3,000,000. In different countries, there is a different ratio of Nigerians.
Although Nigerians must adapt to their new environment, they must remain tied with their cultural roots. So, the entire Nigerian community collectively celebrates its cultural festivals. Some Nigerian festivals are also celebrated in foreign countries, such as New Yam, Egungun Festival, Eyo Festival, and Ojude Oba Festival. These festivals are celebrated in countries like the UK, Canada, and London, and they are usually celebrated with the same spirit and heart. Read below to learn about top Nigerian festivals celebrated in foreign countries:
Nigerian diaspora members who work abroad to provide financial aid to their families through making an online money transfer to Nigeria celebrate various popular festivals. Let's discuss the historical background, importance, and significance of Nigerian festivals:
New Yam is one of Nigeria's famous seasonal and agricultural festivals. It is also called Iri Ji or Iwa Ji. It is usually celebrated at the end of the rainy season and at the beginning of harvest to express gratitude for the harvest. People praise and pray for the prosperity of future harvests.
The New Yam festival is celebrated globally in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada. It is celebrated with the same enthusiasm, with energetic Igbo dances and musical performances. It symbolizes the worth of harvest and prays for the upcoming harvesting year.
Egungun is a cultural festival in Nigeria that is celebrated to honor the souls and spirits of the ancestors. Egungun refers to the blessed and protected spirits. In Egungun, proper arrangements are made to communicate with spirits. It also includes dancing, drumming, and singing rituals.
Yoruba people live in different regions and celebrate the Egunugn festival in countries like Brazil and Tobago. It is a lineage festival celebrated annually with colorful costumes. It represents the unique identity of the Yoruba people.
The Yorba people also celebrate the Eyo festival, which is known as the Logos festival. It is mainly celebrated to pay tribute to old kings such as King Oba. Nigerians who live abroad to earn and send money online to Nigeria to their families start celebrating their rituals in immigrant countries.
Countries like the USA, Atlanta, and Houston celebrated Eyo festivals. They last almost a week, and the communities decide the dates. They usually start on Saturdays to celebrate Oba King's death and ensure the smooth transitions of might and power.
The Lagos Carnival festival is called "Fanti" or "Caretta. It is one of the most colorful festivals celebrated in Nigeria. In this festival, troops wear different costumes to attract attention and to display special musical and dance performances. It is a blend of Nigerian, Cuban, and Brazilian cultures that is celebrated in different countries.
The Nigerian diaspora celebrates Lagos with the same energies in cities like London, New York, and Toronto. It includes parades, dance performances, and the signing of traditional songs. Nigerians create the same essence as in Nigeria through their vibrant costumes.
Yoruba people also celebrate the Sango festival to honor the god Sango, known as the god of thunder and lightning. It takes place where the Yoruba people live. In Sango festivals, live drama performances are organized, and energetic dances are performed to show the power and worth of Sango.
In countries like Brazil and Cuba, it is celebrated annually because many of the Yoruba community living there. Moreover, Nigerian diaspora living in different countries, like the US and UK, also celebrate it as they feel disconnected from their culture. People also make a money transfer to Nigeria on special occasions to stay connected with families. It is celebrated at the beginning of August, which is considered the traditional new year in Nigeria. It is a ten-day festival with different performances portraying the enrichment of Nigerians' culture.
Celebration of Nigerian festivals plays a crucial role, especially for people who live abroad. They feel isolated and disconnected from their cultural roots, so celebrating cultural events revives their energies and makes them feel associated with a new environment. Many countries, like the USA, UK, Canada, Brazil, and Houston, celebrate Nigerian festivals, which promote cultural flexibility and preserve the values of one's culture.
Celebration of Nigerian festivals in foreign countries serves as a key to cultural evolution. People learn to know each other's cultures, get closer, and adopt each other's habits. It removes social and cultural barriers and preserves the root of one's culture for a lifetime.
It helps the Nigerian diaspora living abroad as they come closer to the local cultures of the foreign community. It helps them understand people, and they succeed. Moving away from your cultural practices may make you forget your norms, but international celebrations keep the spirit alive in you. Often, expats send money online to their families on special occasions as a token of love. Furthermore, learn about how to make quick and easy money remittances to Nigeria.
International celebration of Nigerian culture has different benefits for the economy and society. First, it removes unnecessary behaviors about one's culture. Second, it increases tourism as people become curious about learning about the background of cultural civilizations, which improves the economy.
Different Nigerian festivals are celebrated overseas, but the top 5 internationally celebrated festivals of Nigeria are New Yam, Egungun, Eyo, Sango, and Lagos. These festivals have deep religious, cultural, and historical backgrounds in Nigeria. Nigerians who live abroad also celebrate these events. It reflects their ideologies, identities, and beliefs.
Countries like the UK, USA, and Canada, where most of the Nigerian diaspora lives celebrate Nigerian festivals with the same spirit. It promotes cultural flexibility and preserves culture. Moreover, it strengthens the bond of people of different cultural backgrounds and communities progress together. It also eliminates negativity from society and promotes a healthy environment.
One of the amazing things about today's world is that the culture and norms of one region are not limited but celebrated across borders. Nigerians who get apart from their families just to earn and support their families through global money transfer often feel alienated because of their detachment from their cultural roots. So, Nigerian communities collectively organize festival celebrations to feel the essence of their cultures in foreign countries. Moreover, some festivals are organized at a greater level by embassies or governments. It preserves the cultural values and increases the interaction of locals with Nigerians.
One of the famous Nigerian festivals is New Yam. It is celebrated to welcome the harvesting season of the new year and express gratitude for the harvest of the whole year. Moreover, festivals like Egos and Egungun are celebrated in honor of spirits and are widely celebrated in foreign countries, including the USA, the UK, and Canada, where most of the Nigerian diaspora resides. Celebration of the Sango festival represents the belief of Nigerians and their connection with history. Celebration of these festivals globally promotes Nigerian culture and increases tourism in Nigeria, which positively impacts the economy.
In the UK, USA, Canada, Brazil, Atlanta, and Houston, Nigerian festivals are celebrated. It is because most of the Nigerians and the Yoruba community reside in these countries. These festivals are celebrated to promote cultural flexibility as well as harmony among nations.
Many Nigerian festivals are celebrated in foreign countries but the top 5 include New Yam, Egungun, Eyo, Sango, and Lagos. These festivals hold unique historical and cultural values that are celebrated internationally.
A few digital banks and online remittance services work on holidays such as ACE money Transfer which allows Nigerians to send money to their families from abroad.
It promotes cultural flexibility and cultural exchange, preserves cultural values, and promotes tourism. Different communities get closer as people learn about the beliefs and rituals of other cultures.
The services of ACE are available 24/7. You can send money to Nigeria from foreign countries at any time and any day. Its services remain active even on holidays and festivals to facilitate the Nigerian diaspora's staying connected with their families.
