Category Archives: Rituals, festivals, holidays

Obanje Child

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Story:

PA: “Ah, my child, in the old days, people feared the Ogbanje. These were children who came from the spirit world, but they were never meant to stay. A mother would give birth, love the child, care for them, and just when she thought they would grow strong, eh, just like that, the child would fall sick and die. But it wouldn’t end there, no. That same mother would take in again, and when she gave birth, the baby would look the same, act the same, even carry the same stubborn ways.

People knew what was happening. It was the same child coming back to torment the family, to bring sorrow again and again. That is why they would go to the dibia, the healer, to find a way to stop it. Sometimes, they would cut a mark on the child’s body small, small scars, so that if they died and returned, they would see the mark and know they had been caught. Other times, the dibia would search for the child’s Iyi-uwa, a secret thing the Ogbanje hides in the earth, tying them to the spirit world. If they found it and destroyed it, ah, the child could stay. They would become like any other child, no more running away.”

Context:

The informant is an Igbo elder who grew up hearing about Ogbanje children from their own elders and witnessed how deeply people believed in them. They first heard about it as a child from older relatives and saw families who lost children seek out traditional healers for help.

My Interpretation:

The Ogbanje story is a really interesting way that Igbo people explained something as painful as losing a child. Instead of seeing it as just bad luck or illness, they believed some children were spirits that came and went, causing grief for their families. The idea of marking the child or finding their Iyi-uwa was a way to stop the cycle and make sure the child stayed.

Even today, some people still believe in Ogbanje, or at least know someone who does. It shows how strong traditional beliefs can be, even when times change. Whether or not someone believes in spirits, this story makes it clear how much families struggled with repeated child loss and how they tried to find ways to protect their children.

Masquarade (Mmanwu)

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Story:

The informant explained that seeing a masquerade (Mmanwu) for the first time is something you never forget. She remembered being about seven or eight years old during a festival. The whole village was celebrating when the deep sound of the ikoro drum rang out which meant the Mmanwu were coming. She held onto her mother’s wrapper as the masquerade appeared. She had always been told that Mmanwu were spirits of the ancestors, but at that moment, all she felt was fear.

She recalls the Mmanwu suddenly running toward the children. Everyone screamed and scattered. She ran as fast as she could, losing her slippers in the sand. Her uncle laughed and called out, “Run! Mmanwu will catch you!” And in that moment, she said she truly believed it would.

She said that later, her mother just laughed and told her it was all part of the tradition. Looking back, she found it funny too, but she still respected the power of the Mmanwu.

Context:

The informant is an elderly Igbo woman who grew up in a traditional village in southeastern Nigeria. She recalls this childhood experience of seeing a masquerade (Mmanwu) for the first time during a festival. She had heard about Mmanwu from her elders, who explained that they represent ancestral spirits. As a child, she believed the spirits were real and feared being taken away. Now, as an elderly, she sees it as an important cultural tradition and laughs at her childhood fear.

My Interpretation:

The informant’s experience with the masquerade chase shows how these traditions mix fear and respect for the spirits. The masquerades aren’t just part of the festival for fun, they are seen as powerful spiritual figures. The fear the informant felt reflects how these spirits are both respected and feared by the community. Even though she was scared at the time, the memory helped her appreciate the importance of these ancestral figures in her culture.

Snow Traditions 2

Nationality: American
Age: 14
Occupation: High School Student
Residence: Morris Plains, NJ, USA
Language: English

These were local rituals done to bring about a snow day. Kids would pressure each other to do them before bed, hoping the more people who did them, the more likely it would be that a snowstorm came. 

“I remember when we first turned our pjs inside out before bed. [J](his brother) told me about it for the first time. We turned our pjs inside out, flushed ice cubes down the toilet, and put a spoon under our pillows. All of these done with a lot of people hopefully would bring more snow to town. I remember telling a big group of friends they had to send pictures of their inside-out PJs and spoons under pillows to their moms to send to my mom.” 

This ritual doesn’t have a designated time besides whenever a kid can’t take another day of school. These rituals are passed between friends mainly in cold communities. The peer pressure to participate is very interesting because it shows the heavy belief these kids take in turning pajamas inside out or putting a spoon under their pillow. Kids are very superstitious before they learn how the world works scientifically. Most people grow out of these superstitions after they learn about precipitation. 

Snow Traditions

Nationality: American
Age: 17
Occupation: High School Student
Residence: Morris Plains, NJ, USA
Language: English

These were local rituals done to bring about a snow day. Especially when the informant was younger, there were lots of snowstorms in the area, and these rituals were said to help bring them. 

“The best days were always snow days because we had no school and everyone was free to do cool things like sled or make some money by shoveling snow. When we were young, like young, young, like 3rd or 4th grade we did all those things. We were flushing ice cubes, putting white crayons on the window sill… those other things. My mom actually found a white crayon on the windowsill of the basement the other day.” 

This ritual doesn’t have a designated time besides whenever a kid can’t take another day of school. It is a special kind of kid belief where flushing ice cubes creates snow or a white crayon will turn the ground outside white. It is also interesting because these rituals are only practiced in cold places, like the northeast of America. 

Gaff Circle

Nationality: American
Age: 19
Occupation: College Student
Residence: Morris Plains, NJ, USA
Language: English

“The Gaff Circle was a tradition run crew did before each show. We would stand in a big circle on stage and pass around a roll of gaff tape and put a piece on each other’s arm for each show we had done. The right arm was for musicals and the left arm was for plays. It was a pretty big deal to be an 8 show senior plus it was cool to see all the different years on run crew.”

This ritual is similar to an initiation and continuation ritual. People earn stripes of gaff tape to show how many years they have been on run crew. While run crew is considered an annoying job for most, at this high school, it was coveted. It was a sign that they were all part of the same little group and that they earned their spot. It creates community and connection between them while also reminding them of previous people and experiences.