Sir: Culture, which is divided into two, namely the tangible aspect of culture and the non-tangible aspect of culture, is defined as the totality of a people’s way of life. The cultural festivals, which are synonymous with a people, are the people’s identities. And as such, they will cherish those festivals and protect them from going into extinction.

Now, in Obosi, where many different cultural festivals are celebrated, periodically, the Ito Ogbo Obosi Festival, which is the collective birthday celebration of newly-crowned octogenarians, is the grandest and most celebrated cultural festival. The Ito Ogbo Obosi Festival, which is celebrated by members of an age grade, who have joined the octogenarian club, dates to 500 years ago.

The festival, which originated in Obosi, was formerly called “Igba Odunke”. And, over the years, successive custodians of Obosi culture, who lived in different ages and cultural epochs, had strenuously striven to guard against the Ito Ogbo Obosi Festival going into extinction.

And till now, the custodians of the Obosi culture are modernising and sustaining the celebration of the festival. Being aware of the transient nature of human beings’ existence on earth, Obosi people reverence God, periodically, for blessing their people with old age. That is the reason for the celebration of the Ito Ogbo Obosi Festival. And against the background of the low-life expectancy in Nigeria, our living to the age of 80 years calls for celebration.

The Ito Ogbo Obosi Festival is an ancient cultural festival. In the distant past, which is about 500 years ago, those who had newly become octogenarians would visit the Eke Obosi market with  undersize species of cattle, which were beautifully arrayed in resplendent apparels, to thank God for blessing them with longevity. It was called Igba Odunke, then.  At that time, the Ito Ogbo Obosi festival had heathen and pagan colouration.

So with the passage of time, and the advent of Christianity, the converts to Christianity did take a dim view of the Ito Ogbo festival, believing it to be a pagan practice. But today, there are no fetish ceremonies and rites surrounding the oldies’ celebration of their longevity, which should warrant us to tar it with the brush of paganism. The fact is that fanatical Christians are unable to make distinctions between heathen/pagan practices and culture. Their misapprehension of the meaning of culture is at the root of the conundrum.

However, thankfully, in this 21st century, both Christians and adherents of African traditional religion participate actively in the festival. It has become the most popular and grandest cultural festival in the entire southeast of Nigeria. So all the people who are natives of Obosi pray fervently to live up to 80 years in order that they should be celebrated.

During the Ito Ogbo Obosi Festival, the children of the celebrants who live outside Obosi will return home for the festival. After being crowned ‘Ogbueshi’ at the Obosi Township Stadium,  which is symbolised by issuance of certificates to them and placing of caps on their heads by the traditional ruler of Obosi, the celebrants will return to their homes to continue celebrating the Ito Ogbo Obosi Festival.

The forthcoming Ito Ogbo Obosi Festival will take place on March 2, 2024.

Chiedu Uche Okoye wrote from Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State.