The Obo Festival
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Last up date (July 29, 2021)

This Festival is an initiation ceremony of girls usually between the ages of twenty and below. It is in custom in Ozalla that before a girl marries traditionally, she must first of all perform this type of Festival. It is an honour dedicated to River Orhueren by the young girls in Ozalla in the month of November, annually.

Before this Festival is done, the priest in charge of Igbidin quarter will fix the day for the festival.

There is normally the choosing of things in the market. A young girl will be with a certain ceremonial Amour in her hand and once she uses it to touch anything in the market, part of that thing automatically belong to her.

After that, there would be a daily rehearsal for the Obo in the night. A day, to the day of the Festival, the girls in Ozalla will decorate their bodies with certain liquid known in Ozalla as “ASUN” and also many Coral Beads round their necks and waist.

On the first day of the Festival girls usually visit their relative and well wishers. This is usually done under the platform of Nakedness by the girls.

On the ‘D” Day, all the girls will pay homage to the various shrines by the market square as a sign of honour dedicated to the River Orhueren by the young , girls.

In this place, some girls are chosen to make a recitation of some joyful songs and a girl will be accompanied by few girls usually sent to a river to fetch water to the shrine. The girl until her arrival will never look at people behind her.

The festival is used to testify that the young girls are still sexually innocence. The coming of this Festival was the indication by the elders to prove girls purity and dedication to River Orhueren and also to prove how sexually innocence the girls would be before their marriage.

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