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| Children at the carnival last year |
As Akwa Ibom turns 25 this year, the 2012 edition of ORANGE CARNIVAL is expected to be spectacular,
and this might have caused many to ask questions from different quarters….???
Why Orange
Carnival for Akwa Ibom?
September 23 is the day Akwa Ibom State was created; Orange
Carnival celebrates freedom, and expression of joy, an extra reason being the
transformation process of leaders that have ruled the state.
Why Orange Carnival? ...It is all about celebration, using
Orange for its theme, being Akwa Ibom State’s official color. Akwa Ibom people
are Christians, and Carnival forms an integral part of the Christian calendar,
particularly in Catholic regions, some carnival traditions may date back to
pre-Christian times. The ancient Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Bacchanalia may
possibly have been absorbed into the Italian Carnival. Carnival celebrations
have been in decline since the 1960s.
Carnivals are most popular in the Caribean Islands, the
largest and most well-known celebration is held in Trinidad and Tobago. The
costumes, dances and pageantry grew with each passing year, with the
participants donning costumes from the cultural and ethnic variety on the
island. After Fidel Castro's Communist Revolution, Carnival's religious
overture was suppressed. The events remained, albeit and frowned upon by the
state.
Types
of Costumes & Messages
Costumes pass messages that stick to the mind. The cultural
heritage of different tribes will be showcased through the costume designs.
The costumes worn will also be related to a profession-
e.g. – groups dressed in attires related to professions like Doctors, Lawyers,
and/or Engineers. Costumes can also relate with recent news, e.g. - the bird flu epidemic (dressed as
chickens). The feeling of this Carnival is the sharp criticism, the funny play
on words and the imagination in the costumes, more than the glamorous
dressings. Even though masks will be readily available, it is traditional to
paint faces.
Carnivals in Nigeria
Abuja
Carnival-The Abuja
Carnival is best described as a UNITY CARNIVAL, where all States of the
Federation meet at the Federal Capital Territory to showcase their rich
cultural heritage. Last year, the Akwa Ibom delegation won the coveted price
for the best State on display.
Calabar
Carnival- Calabar
Festival or Carnival Calabar, whatever name you are familiar with, all these
are nomenclatures of Africa’s Biggest Street Party held annually, continually
for 8 years in Calabar, the capital of Cross River State.
Lagos
Carnival- According to
the official website, Lagos State “has a long history of holding carnivals,
particularly on Lagos Island, as a result of historical links with the
returnees and their descendants from Brazil, West Indies and Sierra Leone in
the late 19th century. Lagos is Africa’s social hub; Eyo Festival is the
biggest cultural festival. However, Carnivals died off until the emergence of
Governor B.R Fashola, and with Lagos Carnival, Eko o ni baje o!
Rivers
State- CarniRiv is
another big event in the South of Nigeria; the Riverian people have an enviable
culture and history that has placed them on an enviable pedestal in the comity
of state in Nigeria.
Akwa
Ibom- There have been a
few carnivals in Akwa Ibom, outstanding amongst them are Green & White
Independence Carnival, and the Cultural Carnival. The most spectacular Carnival
in Akwa Ibom is ORANGE CARNIVAL.
WATCH OUT
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