Àṣà Yorùbá ma ńri ọpẹ́ ninú ohun gbogbo, nitori eyi ni àjọyọ̀ àti ayẹyẹ ṣe pọ ni ilẹ̀ Yorùbá.  Bi kò bá ṣe ayẹyẹ igbéyàwó; á jẹ́ idúpẹ́ fun ikómọ/isọmọlórúkọ; ìsìnku arúgbó; ikóyọ ninú ewu ijàmbá ọkọ̀; iṣile; oyè gbigbà ni ilé-iwé giga tàbi oyé ilú; idúpẹ́ ìparí ọdún tàbi ọdún tuntun àti bẹ̃bẹ̃ lọ.  Kò si igbà ti àlejò kò ni ri ibi ti wọn ti ńṣe ayẹyẹ kan tàbi èkeji ni gbogbo ilẹ́ Yorùbá.  Eyi jẹ́ ki àlejò rò wipé igbà gbogbo ni Yorùbá fi ńṣọdún.

Kò si ẹni ti o ńdúpẹ́ ti inú rẹ ńbàjẹ́, tijó tayọ̀ ni enia fi nṣe idúpẹ́.  Ninú idúpẹ́ àti àjọyọ̀ yi ni ẹni ti inu rẹ bàjẹ́ miran ti lè ni ireti pé ire ti ohun naa yio dé.  Ni ilú Èkó, lati Ọjọ́bọ̀ titi dé ọjọ́ Àikú ni enia yio ri ibi ti wọn ti ńṣe ayẹyẹ.  Ọjọ́bọ̀ jẹ ọjọ́ ti wọn ńṣe àisùn-òkú; ọjọ́ Ẹti ni isinkú, ọjọ́ Àbámẹ́ta ni ti ayẹyẹ igbéyàwó nigbati ọjọ́ Àikú wà fún idúpẹ́ pàtàki ni ilé ijọsin onigbàgbọ́.  Ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ayẹyẹ yi ló mú ipèsè jijẹ, mimu, ilù àti ijó lati ṣe àlejò fún ẹbi, ará àti ọ̀rẹ́ ti ó wá báni ṣe ayẹyẹ.

A lè fi òwe Yorùbá ti ó ni “A ò mọ èyi ti Ọlọrun yio ṣe, kò jẹ́ ki á binú kú”, tu ẹni ti ó bá ni ìrẹ̀wẹ̀sì ninú, pé ọjọ́ ọ̀la yio dára.   Yorùbá gbàgbọ́  pé ẹni ti kò ri jẹ loni, bi kò bá kú, ti ó tẹpá-mọ́ṣẹ́, lè di ọlọ́rọ̀ ni ọ̀la. Nitori eyi, kò yẹ ki enia “Kú silẹ̀ de ikú” nitorina, “Bi ẹ̀mi bá wà, ireti ḿbẹ”.

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

In Yoruba culture, there are always reasons to give thanks, hence there are many joyous gatherings and celebrations in Yoruba land.  If it is not wedding ceremony, it will be thanksgiving for: child naming; burial of an elderly person; escape from ghastly motor accident; house warming; College graduation or Chieftaincy title; End of Year or New Year thanksgiving etc.   There is no time a visitor will not observe one celebration or another.  This makes visitors believe that Yoruba people are always celebrating.

There is no one who is full of gratitude or thanksgiving that would be filled with sadness, because people do thanksgiving with dancing and joy.  In Lagos, from Thursday to Sunday, one will always find where there is celebration.  Thursday is set aside for Wake-Keeping; Friday for Burial; Saturday for Wedding Ceremonies; Sunday is for Thanksgiving particularly in the Churches.  Most celebrations entails provision of food, drinks, band and dancing for entertainment of guests made up of families, contemporaries and friends that are present at the event.

The Yoruba proverb as translated by “Oyekan Owomoyela” thus “We know not what God will do, stops one from committing suicide”, can be used to console someone in depression, that tomorrow will be better.  Yoruba believe that one who has nothing to eat today, if he/she is alive and hardworking, can become wealthy tomorrow.  As a result, it is not worth “dying before death comes”, hence “Once there is life, there is hope”.

Originally posted 2016-04-15 10:03:30. Republished by Blog Post Promoter