Crafty Moms Share: Easter in Nigeria

As part of the Easter Around the World series, I decided to take a look at Easter in Nigeria. Unfortunately I had no luck finding books that included Easter celebrations in Nigeria. We did find several books about Nigeria and stories from Nigeria however. Hazel was very excited to read books about Nigeria since one of her good friends is from Nigeria. I also happen to be good friends with her mother so I asked her for help.

Nigeria

Nigeria is a country on the western coast of Africa. It is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh in the world. It has over 500 different ethnic groups and its population is about 40% Christian. Mostly it is Muslim in the north and Christian in the south. Its official language is English, and there are more than 500 different languages spoken there. In the north there are savannahs and in the south there are tropical rain forests. Nigeria has quite a mix of climates, people and cultures. (Source)

In Nigeria there are no Easter Bunny and egg hunts. Easter is a four day holiday starting on Good Friday and going through Easter Monday. The holiday is about the celebration of God's gift of washing away our sins and spending time with families.

Good Friday

National Cathedral in Abuja, Nigeria By Moises.
on [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Good Friday is a somber day in Nigeria and most Christians there spend it by going to church and limiting their food. Dairy foods and flesh meats (beef, pork, goat) are strictly forbidden on Good Friday. My friend remembers having a coconut bean soup called frejon on Good Friday when she was growing up. Frejon was often eaten with fried fish or peppered snails. While doing a little research on-line I discovered that frejon is actually from a Portuguese word (feijão which means beans) and came to Nigeria via Brazil after the end of slavery. (Source) I also found a recipe at Avartsy Cooking.

Frejon -- a picture my friend sent me, but I think she got it from here.

Another Good Friday memory of my friend is of mingau. Mingau is a tapioca, coconut milk, and clove drink that can be topped with cinnamon and coconut shavings. Again with some research I discovered this has ties to Brazil. I found the information and a recipe on Spice Baby. For more ideas of what Nigerians eat for Good Friday check out Nigerian Food TV for pictures and recipes.

Easter

Nigeria Reformed Church Onuenyim Iseke By E Kolk95 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

On Easter Sunday the mood changes. People are ready to celebrate. Most Christians attend church and then move into the streets where there is dancing and beating of drums. I even read about some masquerades and colorful costumes. (Source) My friend confirmed this and also stated that Easter is almost as big as Christmas in Nigeria. Families usually gather together and have a dinner after church which includes all the foods they couldn't eat during Lent (dairies and flesh meats). She sent me this collage from Nigerian Food TV saying it was a typical Easter meal.