Main important festivals in African countries
There are many countries in Africa, and the situation of ethnic groups and tribes is even more complex. Therefore, festivals in Africa are extremely rich and diverse, with strong regional characteristics and distinctive national characteristics. Compared with European and American countries, African festivals retain more simple customs. Various competitive competitions, focusing on ancestral life and combat scenes, totem worship, and traditional music and dances of various tribes are often indispensable contents of African festivals. Of course, today's festivals not only display the fierce and rough original heritage, but also add new contents such as promoting national culture, enhancing exchanges and unity between ethnic groups, and promoting the development of economy, trade and tourism. The following will introduce you to one of the important festivals in African countries: Sahara Festival is held every December in the town of Douz, Tunisia. Festivals include leading tourists across the desert, marching warriors and camel groups, camel races, camel fights, etc., which have a desert charm. Every year, many foreign tourists share the joy of the festival with local residents.
Horse Racing Festival The Horse Racing Festival in Morocco is held every September. At that time, riders from all walks of life will gather, and thousands of horses will gallop on the racetrack. The shouts will shake the sky. The riders will raise their whips to urge the horses and compete fiercely for the championship title. After the game, the riders returned with guns high high and cheered, demonstrating the heroic and tenacious spirit of the Morocco people.
Dipei Festival Dipei Festival is a festival where the Abidi people in Cote d'Ivoire worship their ancestor Bidio and celebrate his rebirth. It is held every April. A ceremony to sacrifice the whole sheep was held during the festival. The next morning, under the order of the chief, the whole village shouted and beat the door of the house to drive away the "death of death". The men then jumped into the river or sprinkled water and mud on each other to congratulate them. The men then injured themselves with rocks or daggers to show their bravery. The last program of the Depuy Festival is a simulated battle with the "devil".
The Bina Festival in Mali developed on the basis of the original annual Mali "National Youth Culture Week". Its full name is "National Culture, Art and Sports Bina Festival". It is a product of Mali's independence and held in July of the next year. During the festival, artists from all over the country gathered in Bamako, the capital, to present the most exciting programs. In the song and dance, the dance "Gamba", which shows African men being sent to the forest to undergo traditional "circumcision" when they reached adulthood and trained for three months. When they returned to the village, they were warmly welcomed by the villagers. It is a long-standing reserved program. The activities of the Bina Festival are deeply welcomed by people of all ethnic groups in Mali and international friends.
The Wrestling Festival is a traditional festival of the Kabye people in Togo and was interrupted during the colonial period. Togo became independent in 1960, and the government restored this traditional festival in 1972. In recent years, it has developed into a national festival, and wrestling has become a national skill in Togo. The festival is held in July every year. During the week-long festival, wrestling competitions are held at various levels to finally select this year's champion. During the game, everyone from the president to the people had to watch the game in person to cheer up, and foreign friends also came to watch.
The atmosphere in the stadium was warm and tense. A chief dressed in traditional attire serves as the referee, and the players have gone through years of training and strict selection. As the racers wrung together, African drums and cheers rang out. The fierce scene reminded people of the struggle between the Kabye ancestors and foreign invaders with their bare hands in the era of tribal separatism. Only by participating in open wrestling competitions for three consecutive years can Kabiya youth be eligible to become official members of their tribe and are they allowed to marry and start a family. Naturally, through competitions, the winner will be favored by beautiful girls.
Fishing Day Fishing is an important production activity in some West African countries. Long-term fishing production and labor have formed the festival custom of holding celebrations before opening fishing every year to pray for peace and good harvest. In 1934, the chiefs of the two tribes in Nigeria reached an agreement in the ancient city of Argon: to end the hostility caused by fishing conflicts and live together amicably from then on. To commemorate this event, Nigeria gradually established a fishing festival. Today, the Fishing Festival has become a symbol of unity among people of all ethnic groups across the country. The Fishing Festival comes in February every year, and Argongu is crowded with foreign tourists.
The local chief presided over the opening ceremony. The main contents of the festival activities include agricultural exhibitions, selection of Miss Argongu, boxing, motorcycles, competitions, etc. The climax of the event is the competition to catch big bass. There was cheers and noise on both sides of the river, and players in the river floated up and down like dragons, competing to catch the largest fish. At the end of the competition, several levels of awards were awarded and generous prizes were awarded.
The Fishing Festival in Niger is held in May every year. A grand sacrifice ceremony before opening the net for fishing is held to pray for a good harvest.
In Luanda, the capital of Angola, a sea sacrifice ceremony is held every year to pray for fishermen to go to sea safely and appease the dead on the sea. This custom has a long history. After Angola's independence in 1975, the Luanda Municipal Government officially established November 25 - 27 as the Fishermen's Island Festival based on this custom. During the festival, after a solemn prayer ceremony, offerings and flowers are thrown into the sea. For a time, the long coast was dyed colorful and spectacular. After the sea sacrifice ceremony, there are various artistic performances, skydiving and sailing competitions. The most attractive ones are the rough and unrestrained traditional dances that show fishermen fighting the sea and the reunion of family members after returning from sea.