Photo by Me
Owambe is a large party thrown by Nigerians that involves a lot of food, dancing, very loud music, and most importantly spraying money on a dancing person which is seen as a way of appreciating the celebrants.
Owambe is one tradition that is very common in Nigeria and has stuck in their minds. For international students or Nigerians in diaspora in general its something they all miss because its hard to find something of such outside the country. Although, they have tried to create or attend something that’s similar to it but it appears to never be the same.
An important aspect of owambe is the food. Food is so important they spend the most money and time on it and not just any food, there is no owambe without Nigerian Jollof rice. The success of a party lies in the taste of the jollof rice. Food is of really great importance ranging from Jollof rice, moimoi, amala and a lot more.
Another important aspect is the Aso Ebi which means the traditional uniform for the party. this solely depends on the tribe. Different cultures have their style but picking a design for an Aso Ebi is very important and it is usually sold to those who want to attend the party. Buying an Aso Ebi is important because there are sometimes obvious discriminations between those putting on the Aso Ebi and others not putting it on especially when it comes to the distribution of party souvenirs.
The last major important aspect is music and the spraying of money. There is no way you are coming to an Owambe as an adult without the intent of spraying money, especially to the celebrant. It is sometimes seen as an opportunity to show off and outdo others. Music has a lot to do with the party depending on the culture. As Nigerians Owambe is one of our pride and we cherish it a lot.
