The 2017 Eid celebration was for me more of an immediate family gathering than a party with distant relations and strangers . We woke up bright and early to the wonderful chorus of plates, pots and pans which signaled that we had to help the women get the cooking started. After some time, we had to prepare for the mosque by 10am for the Eid-il-Fitr prayer. Everyone got dressed in their beautiful attires and made sure to have something to eat before leaving as is the norm – we had been fasting for 29/30 days.
Eid outfit
At the mosque, the Imam talked about the importance of the month of Ramadan and everything it entails. The aroma of the variety of food already prepared welcomed us back home and nobody hesitated to get plates and get served. The food brought smiles to everyone’s faces and happiness radiated everywhere. I went ahead to take a nap because I wasn’t expecting visitors, that’s for the big Sallah in two months. The yell of my name woke me up and there she was, my sister trying to hurry me up because my aunt had got us tickets to the Glo Mega Music Tour, Ibadan – an Eid present.
Performance by the wave master himself, Olamide.
Crowd going wild during Olamide’s performance.
Ibadan is a peaceful city, acclaimed for its rusty rooftops, serene environment and reasonable standard of living. Although Lagos has a larger population, Ibadan has more space for a population of over 3 million. Traffic is light and so it wasn’t a difficult decision to attend this concert at eleventh hour.
The International Conference Center University of Ibadan was packed on the night. It was a struggle because the regular section was overflowing with excitement and people who wanted to get their money’s worth. It was a cacophony of smells, music, car horns and just a mixture of everything. We got into the VIP section(because why not…lol) and Yemi Alade was live on stage. Flavor, Psquare, Timaya, Phyno and your fave’s fave, Olamide were also present to give amazing performances. There will always be the bad eggs in the society so after the show, they decided to show themselves by pick-pocketing but fortunately they were caught. The ensuing drama was an interesting side attraction for everyone but a sad footnote for me.
Day 2 of my stay in Ibadan: I visited a friend at her mom’s store. We didn’t do much but it made me realize that sometimes the smallest things matter the most. We had fun catching up and spending time with her family’s newest and youngest members. As I was leaving, trust African parents to always give you money on your departure, mum didn’t fail. Last day in Ibadan and we were ready to return to the hustle and bustle, the grind. It was fun while it lasted and I absolutely can’t wait for the next celebration! So guys, how and with whom did you celebrate Eid in your city? Give me the full gist in the comments section below. I look forward to reading your experiences.
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