10/12/2025
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The Iguẹ Festival is one of the most misunderstood Ẹdo traditional festivals, and many people wrongly call it fe**sh simply because they do not understand what actually happens during the celebration. In reality, the Iguẹ Festival is not a spiritual or religious practice of any kind; it is purely traditional. To understand this, we must first recognize that tradition and religion are not the same thing. Religion involves worship, doctrines, and ceremonies directed toward a deity, while tradition consists of the cultural practices, customs, and values passed down from our ancestors that help preserve identity and heritage. The Iguẹ Festival belongs completely to the realm of tradition, not religion.
What we do in the Iguẹ Festival is simple and meaningful. It is a festival of thanksgiving. On this day, the Ẹdo people thank God Almighty, the Creator of all things, for life, protection, and blessings. We also thank our ancestors, not as gods, but as the people who came before us, who laid the path we walk today and whose wisdom, sacrifices, and existence make our own lives possible. Another important part of the thanksgiving is showing gratitude to one’s head. The Ẹdo people believe that when the head is good, the body is good. Just as the body cannot function without the head, a good head brings guidance, clarity, and protection. So giving thanks to your head is simply acknowledging that your life is moving in a positive direction.
The festival also involves cleansing, which the Ẹdo people call Lubirrie. This cleansing is not spiritual worship or sacrifice; it is symbolic. Just as churches perform deliverance, or homes perform new-year cleansing, the Iguẹ cleansing is a cultural act meant to remove negativity, refresh the body and land, and prepare the community for a new season of peace and progress. No sacrifices are performed to any deity and no fe**sh rituals take place. It is simply a cultural renewal.
Another important aspect of the Iguẹ Festival is the promotion of peace and tranquility, called ẹwerẹ. During this period, the community focuses on unity, settling misunderstandings, restoring harmony, and praying for peace. The entire festival is built around gratitude, cleansing, renewal, and unity nothing fe**sh.
Even the prayers attached to the coconut and kolanut, which people often misunderstand, are simple symbolic prayers. The kolanut represents life. The Ẹdo people say, “He who brings kolanut brings life,” because a kolanut tree isn't harmed by anyone our lives will not be cut short. The coconut is full of water, purity, and nourishment, and no one knows how the water enters it. So the prayer says that just as no one knows how water enters the coconut, so shall no enemy know the source of our blessings. This is the same kind of prayer people make in church, in the mosque, or in their homes. It is not worship; it is simply a heartfelt wish for protection and good fortune.
In truth, the Iguẹ Festival is not fe**sh in any way. It is a cultural practice passed down from our ancestors a festival of thanksgiving, cleansing, peace, and renewal. It is part of our identity as Edo people, a heritage that binds us together and reminds us of who we are.
ISẸLOGBE!!!!
