Nigeria

Region : Oyo

Spirituality : Yorubo

Ethnic group : Tella-Oko

In Nigeria, the Sango Festival of Oyo marks the beginning of the traditional Yoruba New Year every August. It is an ancestral worship ceremony that takes place in Sango, Nigeria, near the ancient Koso temple. This ten-day festival is deeply connected to the social, religious, cultural, and political institutions of Oyo State. It is held in commemoration of Tella-Oko, the third Alaafin (king) of the Oyo Empire, who is believed to be the incarnation of the mythical Sango, the Yoruba deity of thunder and lightning.

At the beginning of the festival, on the eve of the Yoruba New Year in August, Sango devotees share and eat roasted new yams and palm oil. People of all genders braid their hair and dress in red, wearing white and red beads around their necks and wrists. The festival includes various rites, as well as songs, storytelling, drumming, and dancing.

Children acquire the associated knowledge and skills by observing and imitating their elders and by attending Saturday worship at temples dedicated to Sango. However, the crafts and magical rites linked to the Sango Festival are passed down through apprenticeship.

The festival unites the Oyo community, which sees this tradition as an expression of shared identity and social cohesion, as well as a way to reconnect with their ancestor, Sango.