Can culture unite? An explorative gestalt of iwa akwa and seigbein festivals

Abstract

Festivals are important cultural values in an African society. In the modern times, people often tend to divorce themselves from these celebrations. Their argument is often based on religious grounds: festivals are fetish and offer nothing to human society. This paper then investigates the importance of festivals as it concerns societal harmonious co-existence. It poses the question: Can Culture Unite? IwaAkwa and Seigbein festivals of Ndi Igbo and the Ijaw people are chosen as case studies while ethnographic research methods involving participant observation, non-participant observation and interviews are adopted. At the end, it is observed that not only that festival unite people, they also serve major form of ethnographic identity. Their celebrations also encourage tourism and attract economic gains. The paper recommends not just a continuous sustenance of festivals but also investment in them for their longevity.